Intravascular Intervention Research Articles

Crystal ribcage: a platform for probing real-time lung function at cellular resolution.

Understanding the dynamic pathogenesis and treatment response in pulmonary diseases requires probing the lung at cellular resolution in real time. Despite advances in intravital imaging, optical imaging of the lung during active respiration and circulation has remained challenging. Here, we introduce the crystal ribcage: a transparent ribcage that allows multiscale optical imaging of the functioning lung from whole-organ to single-cell level. It enables the modulation of lung biophysics and immunity through intravascular, intrapulmonary, intraparenchymal and optogenetic interventions, and it preserves the three-dimensional architecture, air-liquid interface, cellular diversity and respiratory-circulatory functions of the lung. Utilizing these capabilities on murine models of pulmonary pathologies we probed remodeling of respiratory-circulatory functions at the single-alveolus and capillary levels during disease progression. The crystal ribcage and its broad applications presented here will facilitate further studies of nearly any pulmonary disease as well as lead to the identification of new targets for treatment strategies.

Prognostic Impact of Intravascular Imaging-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Chronic Total Occlusion.

Prognostic Impact of Intravascular Imaging-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Chronic Total Occlusion.

Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Versus Angiography-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Drug-Eluting Stents: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Trials.

Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Versus Angiography-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Drug-Eluting Stents: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Trials.

Optical Coherence Tomography-Guided or Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The OCTIVUS Randomized Clinical Trial.

Intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed superior clinical outcomes compared with angiography-guided PCI. However, the comparative effectiveness of OCT-guided and IVUS-guided PCI regarding clinical outcomes is unknown. In this prospective, multicenter, open-label, pragmatic trial, we randomly assigned 2008 patients with significant coronary artery lesions undergoing PCI in a 1:1 ratio to undergo either an OCT-guided or IVUS-guided PCI. The primary end point was a composite of death from cardiac causes, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven target-vessel revascularization at 1 year, which was powered for noninferiority of the OCT group compared with the IVUS group. Safety outcomes were also assessed. At 1 year, primary end point events occurred in 25 of 1005 patients (Kaplan-Meier estimate, 2.5%) in the OCT group and in 31 of 1003 patients (Kaplan-Meier estimate, 3.1%) in the IVUS group (absolute difference, -0.6 percentage points; upper boundary of one-sided 97.5% CI, 0.97 percentage points; P<0.001 for noninferiority). The incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy was similar (14 patients [1.4%] in the OCT group versus 15 patients [1.5%] in the IVUS group; P=0.85). The incidence of major procedural complications was lower in the OCT group than in the IVUS group (22 [2.2%] versus 37 [3.7%]; P=0.047), although imaging procedure-related complications were not observed. In patients with significant coronary artery lesions, OCT-guided PCI was noninferior to IVUS-guided PCI with respect to the incidence of a composite of death from cardiac causes, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven target-vessel revascularization at 1 year. The selected study population and lower-than-expected event rates should be considered in interpreting the trial. URL: https://www. gov; Unique number: NCT03394079.

Safety and feasibility of intravascular ultrasound-guided robotic percutaneous coronary intervention.

Previous studies have demonstrated the benefit of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for preventing longitudinal geographic miss (LGM). However, it is yet unclear whether IVUS guidance is useful for robotic-PCI (robotic-assisted perctaneous coronary intervention [R-PCI]). A total of 58 consecutive patients with stable angina who underwent IVUS-guided R-PCI were enrolled. The stent landing position was angiographically marked using a balloon marker before stenting, followed by measurements of the expected stent length using balloon pullback. Subsequently, prestenting IVUS was performed to determine stent landing. All pre-PCI IVUS images were assessed for lesion length and percent plaque volume (%PV) using both IVUS and angiographic marking. LGM was defined as a residual %PV >50% at either the distal or proximal stent edge, any stent edge dissection, or additional stent deployment immediately after stenting. The included patients had an average age of 67.1 ± 10.1 years. IVUS guidance had significantly longer lesion lengths compared with angiographic marking. Based on IVUS-guided stent deployment, nine cases exhibited LGM immediately after stenting. IVUS-marked landing points had a significantly smaller %PV and significantly larger lumen area compared with those for angiography. IVUS-guided R-PCI was well-tolerated and may be better at preventing LGM compared with angiography-guided R-PCI.

Outcomes of Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Among Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) use in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improves outcomes. However, data on outcomes of IVUS-guided PCI in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is scarce. Therefore, we sought to study the utilization rate and outcomes of IVUS-guided PCI in patients with ACS. Using the National Readmission database, we identified all patients with ACS who underwent PCI from 2016 to 2019. We used a 1:1 propensity-matched analysis to compare the outcome of patients with ACS who underwent PCI with and without IVUS. In 1,263,997 patients with ACS, 563,521 (44.6%) underwent PCI without IVUS and 40,095 (3.17%) underwent IVUS-guided PCI. A Propensity scored matched comparison of PCI with and without IVUS showed IVUS-guided PCI was associated with a lower risk of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.64 to 0.85, p <0.01) compared with PCI without IVUS. The utilization of IVUS increased from 2.64% in 2016 to 4.10% in 2019, p <0.001. In conclusion, IVUS-guided PCI is associated with lower in-hospital mortality in patients with ACS, yet the current utilization of IVUS-guided PCI remains low across the United States.

Intravascular Imaging-Guided Versus Angiography-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Medium-Term Outcomes: A Contemporary Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Intravascular Imaging-Guided Versus Angiography-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Medium-Term Outcomes: A Contemporary Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Outcomes of Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Non–ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction-Propensity Matched Regression Analysis

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is indicated in complex interventions. There is a paucity of evidence for outcomes with large studies on using IVUS during PCI in non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Our objective was to compare the in-hospital outcome of IVUS-guided with that of nonguided PCI among NSTEMI hospitalizations. The National Inpatient Sample (2016 to 2019) was queried to identify all hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis of NSTEMI. In our study, we compared outcomes of PCI with and without IVUS guidance using a multivariate logistic regression model after propensity score matching, with the primary outcome being in-hospital mortality. A total of 671,280 NSTEMI-related hospitalizations were identified, of whom 48,285 (7.2%) underwent IVUS-guided PCI compared with 622,995 (92.8%) who underwent non-IVUS PCI. After adjusted analysis on matched pairs, we found that IVUS-guided PCI had a lower risk of in-hospital mortality than that of non-IVUS PCI (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.736, confidence interval (CI) 0.578 to 0.937, p = 0.013). However, there was a higher use of mechanical circulatory support in the IVUS-guided PCI (aOR 2.138, CI 1.84 to 2.47, p <0.001) than in non-IVUS PCI. The odds of cardiogenic shock (aOR 1.11, CI 0.93 to 1.32, p = 0.233) and procedural complications (aOR 0.794, CI 0.549 to 1.14, p = 0.22) were similar between the cohorts. Hence, we conclude that patients with NSTEMIs who underwent IVUS-guided PCI had less risk of in-hospital mortality and a greater requirement of mechanical circulatory support than did those who underwent non-IVUS PCI, with no difference in procedural complications. Large prospective trials are essential to validate these findings.

An Image Information-Based Objective Assessment Method of Technical Manipulation Skills for Intravascular Interventions.

The clinical success of vascular interventional surgery relies heavily on a surgeon's catheter/guidewire manipulation skills and strategies. An objective and accurate assessment method plays a critical role in evaluating the surgeon's technical manipulation skill level. Most of the existing evaluation methods incorporate the use of information technology to find more objective assessment models based on various metrics. However, in these models, sensors are often attached to the surgeon's hands or to interventional devices for data collection, which constrains the surgeon's operational movements or exerts an influence on the motion trajectory of interventional devices. In this paper, an image information-based assessment method is proposed for the evaluation of the surgeon's manipulation skills without the requirement of attaching sensors to the surgeon or catheters/guidewires. Surgeons are allowed to use their natural bedside manipulation skills during the data collection process. Their manipulation features during different catheterization tasks are derived from the motion analysis of the catheter/guidewire in video sequences. Notably, data relating to the number of speed peaks, slope variations, and the number of collisions are included in the assessment. Furthermore, the contact forces, resulting from interactions between the catheter/guidewire and the vascular model, are sensed by a 6-DoF F/T sensor. A support vector machine (SVM) classification framework is developed to discriminate the surgeon's catheterization skill levels. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed SVM-based assessment method can obtain an accuracy of 97.02% to distinguish between the expert and novice manipulations, which is higher than that of other existing research achievements. The proposed method has great potential to facilitate skill assessment and training of novice surgeons in vascular interventional surgery.

Accelerated rehabilitation after hysterectomy in reproductive age patients

Background and aims. The principles of enhanced recovery in operative gynecology, comorbidity, and a multimodal approach in perioperative support require comprehensive study and optimization, and the ambiguity of literature reports determines the relevance of this study. The aim of this study was to evaluate the parameters of perioperative monitoring after hysterectomy for uterine leiomyoma in patients of reproductive age using enhanced recovery after surgery protocols and their impact on quality of life indicators. Materials and methods. To evaluate the effectiveness of the enhanced recovery protocol after hysterectomy, two groups were formed: the main prospective group, which included 46 patients, who underwent vaginal hysterectomy without appendages and 36 patients with abdominal hysterectomy, who used enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols. The comparison group (group of standard management) included 44 patients who underwent vaginal hysterectomy without appendages and 34 patients with abdominal hysterectomy. The main parameters of monitoring were the postoperative pain level, intraoperative blood loss, diuresis rate, the timing of urinary catheter removal and recovery of peristalsis, as well as individual activation of motor activity. Results. When using the principles of ERAS, the quantitative assessment of pain level (“absence of pain”) was 1.6 times more severe compared to the data of the comparison group; the timing of urinary catheter removal was 2.0 times shorter, drain removal – 2.7 times shorter, recovery of peristalsis – 1.9 times shorter and individual activation of motor activity – 2.9 times earlier than in patients of the comparison group. Conclusions. Studies have demonstrated the feasibility of using laparoscopic technology in combination with the ERAS, which demonstrates a fall in the volume of intraoperative blood loss, a decrease in blood and fluid balance, a shortening of the time of invasive intravascular intervention, allows to improve the course of the early postoperative period, relieve postoperative pain syndrome, reduce the risk of intestinal paresis, shorten the rehabilitation period, and, as a result, improve quality of life indicators.

Influencing factors of futile recanalization after endovascular therapy for cerebral infarction with posterior circulation occlusion of large vessels: a retrospective study

BackgroundThe optimal treatment for cerebral infarction caused by posterior circulation occlusion of large vessels has not yet been determined. Intravascular interventional therapy is an important treatment for cerebral infarction with posterior circulation occlusion of large vessels. However, endovascular therapy (EVT) of some posterior circulation cerebrovascular is ineffective and eventually become futile recanalization. Therefore, we performed a retrospective study to explore the factors influencing futile recanalization after EVT in patients with posterior circulation large-vessel occlusion.MethodsEighty-six patients with acute cerebral infarction and posterior circulation large vessel occlusion after intravascular intervention were divided into two groups according to their modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores after 3 months: group 1, mRS scores less than or equal to 3 (the effective recanalization group); group 2, mRS scores greater than 3 (the ineffective recanalization group). The basic clinical data, imaging index scores, time from onset to recanalization, and operation time between the two groups were compared and analyzed. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing indicators of good prognosis, and the ROC curve and Youden index were used to determine the best cutoff value.ResultsBetween the two groups, there were significant differences in the posterior circulation CT angiography (pc-CTA) scores, GCS scores, pontine midbrain index scores, time from discovery to recanalization, operation time, NIHSS score and incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding. The logistic regression revealed that the NIHSS score and time from discovery to recanalization were associated with good prognoses.ConclusionNIHSS score and recanalization time were independent influencing factors of ineffective recanalization of cerebral infarctions caused by posterior circulation occlusion. EVT is relatively effective for cerebral infarction caused by posterior circulation occlusion when the NIHSS score is less than or equal to 16 and the time from onset to recanalization is less than or equal to 570 min.

Weighting-Based Deep Ensemble Learning for Recognition of Interventionalists’ Hand Motions During Robot-Assisted Intravascular Catheterization

Robot-assisted intravascular interventions have evolved as unique treatments approach for cardiovascular diseases. However, the technology currently has low potentials for catheterization skill evaluation, slow learning curve, and inability to transfer experience gained from manual interventions. This study proposes a new weighting-based deep ensemble model for recognizing interventionalists' hand motions in manual and robotic intravascular catheterization. The model has a module of neural layers for extracting features in electromyography data, and an ensemble of machine learning methods for classifying interventionalists' hand gestures as one of the six hand motions used during catheterization. A soft-weighting technique is applied to guide the contributions of each base learners. The model is validated with electromyography data recorded during <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in-vitro</i> and <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in-vivo</i> trials and labeled as <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">many-to-one</i> sequences. Results obtained show the proposed model could achieve 97.52% and 47.80% recognition performances on test samples in the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in-vitro</i> and <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in-vivo</i> data, respectively. For the latter, transfer learning was applied to update weights from the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in-vitro</i> data, and the retrained model was used for recognizing the hand motions in the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in-vivo</i> data. The weighting-based ensemble was evaluated against the base learners and the results obtained shows it has a more stable performance across the six hand motion classes. Also, the proposed model was compared with four existing methods used for hand motion recognition in intravascular catheterization. The results obtained show our model has the best recognition performances for both the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in-vitro</i> and <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in-vivo</i> catheterization datasets. This study is developed toward increasing interventionalists' skills in robot-assisted catheterization.

Impact of the adjunctive use criteria for intravascular ultrasound-guided percutaneous coronary intervention and clinical outcomes

The impact of the adherence to the adjunctive use criteria (AUC) for intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and clinical outcomes in low IVUS volume countries are limited. The current study compared the procedural success and complication rates between used and not used IVUS catheter in the patients who were met (C +) and were not met (C−) the AUC for IVUS-guided PCI. From June 2018 through June 2019, a total of 21,066 patients were included in the Thai PCI registry. Among the study population, 15,966 patients (75.8%) have met the IVUS-AUC. The IVUS-guided PCI rates were 14.5% and 11.3% in the C + and C − groups, respectively. After adjusting for covariables by propensity model, IVUS-guided PCI was identified as an independent predictor of the procedural success rate regardless of whether the AUC were met with the relative risk [RR (95% confidence interval (CI)] of 1.033(1.026–1.040) and 1.012(1.002–1.021) in C + and C− groups, respectively. IVUS-guided PCI increased the procedural complication risks in both groups but were not significant with corresponding RRs of 1.171(0.915–1.426) and 1.693(0.959–2.426). Procedural success was achieved with IVUS-guided PCI regardless of whether the AUC were met. IVUS-guided PCI did not lead to an increase in procedural complications.

Травматическая церебральная аневризма после проникающего пулевого ранения головного мозга

A clinical case of traumatic cerebral artery aneurysm formation after a penetrating diametrical gunshot wound is presented. Based on data of primary primary and delayed cerebral angiography, intraoperative imaging of the arterial appearance, the evolution (emergence and growth) of a traumatic cerebral aneurysm within 14 days after wounding is traced. The clinical observation is of interest due to a combination of factors: the presence of an unrelated wound aneurysm in the same basin, available intraoperative images of the injured artery as the initial stage of traumatic aneurysm formation, and the possibility to trace angiographic stages of aneurysm formation. Two-stage surgical treatment was performed: removal of the wounding projectile and intravascular intervention (implantation of a flow-deflecting stent) at the level of the aneurysm. In the conclusion the clinical picture, radiological signs of penetrating cranial wounds characteristic for traumatic aneurysm formation, and their treatment tactics are discussed.

Does Intravascular Imaging-guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Improve Clinical Outcomes?

Does Intravascular Imaging-guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Improve Clinical Outcomes?

Aneurysm of the primitive trigeminal artery: a clinical case and a literature review

Background. The primitive trigeminal artery is a fetal anastomosis connecting carotid and vertebrobasilar basins during embryonic period of development. After birth, this artery in the child is obliterated and reduced in most cases. Sometimes the obliteration does not occur and as a result the aneurysms may be formed on this artery (due to change in ordinary hemodynamics in carotid basin), as a consequence, it produces a risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage that sharply worsens prognosis of the disease outcome. The usual microsurgical treatment methods of aneurysms of such localization are of little use and are highly traumatic due to the very “low” location of the neck, because the surgery may need extended basal accesses requiring resection of skull base bones. Also, an “open” surgery produces risks of perforating arteries injury that often extend from trigeminal artery and feed the brain stem, the injury will immediately result in brain ischemic damage. That is why the preferred method for treatment of that kind of pathology may include endovascular intervention both of non‑reconstructive type employing microcoils only and those of reconstructive requiring implantation of assisting or flow‑redirecting stents.Aim. To demonstrate a case of successful treatment of patient with a primitive trigeminal artery aneurysm.Materials and methods. A woman, who was admitted to clinic with complaints of convergent strabismus, undergone surgery for large aneurysm located on primitive trigeminal artery. CT brain angiography revealed large aneurysm of primitive trigeminal artery on the right, the result was later confirmed by data of selective cerebral subtraction angiography. Taking into account oculomotor disorders in the patient, it was decided to refrain from microcoils use due to risk of the mass‑effect preservation. Under double disaggregant therapy (ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily + acetylsalicylic acid 100 mg once daily in the evening) and monitoring the functional activity of platelets, a flow‑deflecting stent was implanted into the right internal carotid artery.Results. The patient was discharged from hospital on the 1st day after the surgery and returned to work. A control angiography performed 3 years later revealed a total shutdown of the aneurysm from bloodstream as well as a partial regression of oculomotor disorders. Intravascular treatment in this situation served as an effective method of choice and made it possible to reliably turn off the aneurysm from bloodstream without impairing the functional outcome of patient’s treatment.Conclusions. It can be assumed that intravascular intervention in case of such aneurysms serves as an effective method of choice as minimally invasive and low‑traumatic surgery in the treatment of patients with that type of pathology.

The clinical features, angiographic and endovascular treatment of indirect carotid cavernous fistulas

Indirect carotid cavernous fistulas (ICCFs) are rare disease entities triggered by indirect low flow between the cavernous sinus and the meningeal branches of the internal or external carotid artery or from both. To evaluate clinical characteristics, angiography, and relationship to the result of endovascular treatment of indirect carotid cavernous fistulas. A prospective study of 32 patients diagnosed to identify ICCFs through digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and intravascular intervention. Results showed that indirect carotid cavernous fistulas were more common in females of advanced age (68.8%) and occurred spontaneously (87.5%); the most common symptoms included chemosis (93.75%), headache (87.5%), proptosis (53.1%), and tinnitus (37.5%) with type D being the most common (81.2%). Thirty out of thirty-two patients with intervention had complete flow block (83.3%), near complete (13.3%), and failure in one case. Incomplete occlusion interventions and failures were of the type D complication. The complication and number of drainage veins are related (p&lt;0.05). ICCFs have diverse symptoms that depend on the drainage veins but most commonly were red eyes, headache, and protruding eyes. The ICCFs were mostly D-type formation and endovascular treatments were safe and effective. Common complications occurred in the case of many veins draining.

Abstract 9349: Procedural Characteristics of Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Their Clinical Implications

Introduction: Despite the clinical benefits to intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), most patients with coronary artery disease undergo angiography-guided PCI alone in real world. Hypothesis: We sought to investigate the procedural characteristics of IVUS-guided PCI and their clinical outcomes, as compared with angiography-guided PCI. Methods: This was a cohort study using patient-level data from IVUS-XPL and ULTIMATE clinical trials. A total of 2,848 patients with 3,872 native coronary lesions were included and procedural characteristics assessed by quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) were compared between IVUS and angiography guidance. Results: Stent-to-reference vessel diameter ratio (i.e., QCA stent sizing) was greater (1.11±0.16 vs 1.07±0.14, p&lt;0.001) and high-pressure post-dilation was more frequently performed (83.7% vs 75.4%, p&lt;0.001) with IVUS guidance, whereas residual stent edge dissections were more frequent in lesions treated with IVUS guidance (4.6% vs 0.7%, p&lt;0.001). Given the dissection risk, optimal QCA stent sizing for IVUS guidance was a stent-to-QCA reference vessel diameter ratio ≥1.1 to &lt;1.3. Among 1,424 patients (1,969 lesions) treated with angiography guidance, QCA stent sizing &lt;1.0 was observed in 651 (33.1%) lesions while QCA stent sizing ≥1.1 to &lt;1.3 was observed in only 526 (26.7%) lesions. Under angiography guidance, patients with both QCA stent sizing ≥1.1 to &lt;1.3 and high-pressure post-dilation (235/1,424, 16.5%) had a lower risk of 3-year target lesion failure compared with others (hazard ratio=0.532, 95% confidence interval=0.293-0.966, p=0.038). Conclusions: IVUS-guided PCI resulted in larger QCA-assessed stent sizing and more frequent post-dilation with high-pressure inflations. These procedures may further improve long-term clinical outcomes in patients undergoing PCI without IVUS.

Systemic immune responses after ischemic stroke: From the center to the periphery.

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of disability and death. It imposes a heavy economic burden on individuals, families and society. The mortality rate of ischemic stroke has decreased with the help of thrombolytic drug therapy and intravascular intervention. However, the nerve damage caused by ischemia-reperfusion is long-lasting and followed by multiple organ dysfunction. In this process, the immune responses manifested by systemic inflammatory responses play an important role. It begins with neuroinflammation following ischemic stroke. The large number of inflammatory cells released after activation of immune cells in the lesion area, along with the deactivated neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous systems, link the center with the periphery. With the activation of systemic immunity and the emergence of immunosuppression, peripheral organs become the second “battlefield” of the immune response after ischemic stroke and gradually become dysfunctional and lead to an adverse prognosis. The purpose of this review was to describe the systemic immune responses after ischemic stroke. We hope to provide new ideas for future research and clinical treatments to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

Free Flap Salvage in the Ischemic Foot: A Case Report.

We performed distal bypass and free flap transfer in a single-stage operation to repair an extensive soft tissue defect in an ischemic foot of an 84-year-old woman. The nutrient artery of the free flap was anastomosed to the bypass graft in an end-to-side manner. Subsequently, the bypass graft became occluded on several occasions. Although intravascular and surgical interventions were performed each time, the bypass graft eventually became completely occluded. However, despite late occlusion of the nutrient artery, the free flap has remained viable and the patient is ambulatory. The time required for a transplanted free flap to become completely viable without a nutrient artery is likely longer for an ischemic foot compared with a healthy foot. However, the exact period of time required is not known. A period of month was required in our patient. We report this case to help clarify the process by which a free flap becomes viable when applied to an ischemic foot.