Vein Atresia Research Articles

Outcomes and Risk Factors of Interventions for Pediatric Post-operative Pulmonary Vein Stenosis.

Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) in children is a challenging condition with poor outcomes. Post-operative stenosis can occur after repair of anomalous pulmonary venous return (APVR) or stenosis within native veins. There is limited data on the outcomes of post-operative PVS. Our objective was to review our experience and assess surgical and transcatheter outcomes. Single-center retrospective study was performed including patients < 18years who developed restenosis after baseline pulmonary vein surgery that required additional intervention(s) from 1/2005 to 1/2020. Non-invasive imaging, catheterization and surgical data were reviewed.We identified 46 patients with post-operative PVS with 11 (23.9%) patient deaths. Median age at index procedure was 7.2months (range 1month-10years), and median follow-up was 10.8months (range 1day-13years). Index procedure was surgical in 36 (78.3%) and transcatheter in 10 (21.7%). Twenty-three (50%) patients developed vein atresia. Mortality was not associated with number of affected veins, vein atresia, or procedure type. Single ventricle physiology, complex congenital heart disease (CCHD), and genetic disorders were associated with mortality. Survival rate was higher in APVR patients (p = 0.03). Patients with three or more interventions had a higher survival rate compared to patients with 1-2 interventions (p = 0.02). Male gender, necrotizing enterocolitis, and diffuse hypoplasia were associated with vein atresia. In post-operative PVS, mortality is associated with CCHD, single ventricle physiology, and genetic disorders. Vein atresia is associated with male gender, necrotizing enterocolitis, and diffuse hypoplasia. Multiple repeated interventions may offer a patient survival benefit; however, larger prospective studies are necessary to elucidate this relationship further.

Update of the SFMV (French society of vascular medicine) guidelines on the conditions and safety measures necessary for thermal ablation of the saphenous veins and proposals for unresolved issues

Venous insufficiency is a very common disease affecting about 25% of the French population (if we combine all stages of its progression). It is a complex disease and its aetiology has not yet been fully elucidated. Some of its causes are well known, such as valvular dysfunction, vein wall defect, and the suctioning effect common to all varicose veins. These factors are generally associated and together lead to dysfunction of one or more of the saphenous veins. Saphenous vein dysfunction is revealed by ultrasound scan, a reflux lasting more than 0.5 seconds indicating venous incompetence. The potential consequences of saphenous vein dysfunction over time include: symptoms (heaviness, swellings, restlessness, cramps, itching of the lower limbs), acute complications (superficial venous thrombosis, varicose bleeding), chronic complications (changes in skin texture and colour, stasis dermatitis, eczema, vein atresia, leg ulcer), and appearance of unaesthetic varicose veins. It is not possible to repair an incompetent saphenous vein. The only therapeutic options at present are ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy, physical removal of the vein (saphenous stripping), or its thermal ablation (by laser or radiofrequency treatment), the latter strategy having now become the gold standard as recommended by international guidelines. Recommendations concerning thermal ablation of saphenous veins were published in 2014 by the Société française de médecine vasculaire. Our society has now decided to update these recommendations, taking this opportunity to discuss unresolved issues and issues not addressed in the original guidelines. Thermal ablation of an incompetent saphenous vein consists in destroying this by means of a heating element introduced via ultrasound-guided venous puncture. The heating element comprises either a laser fibre or a radiofrequency catheter. The practitioner must provide the patient with full information about the procedure and obtain his/her consent prior to its implementation. The checklist concerning the interventional procedure issued by the HAS should be validated for each patient (see the appended document).

Pulmonary venous abnormalities encountered on pre-radiofrequency ablation mapping multidetector computed tomography

Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) elegantly renders pulmonary venous anatomy. With increasing numbers of radiofrequency ablation procedures being performed, there is now a greater emphasis on pre-procedure imaging to delineate this anatomy. Pulmonary venous mapping studies can be performed with or without ECG-gating. However, ECG-gating improves both the quality of 3D images and the accuracy of pulmonary vein (PV) ostial diameter measurements. Including the superior thorax, and not just the left atrium and central PVs, allows visualization of aberrant pulmonary venous drainage to the brachiocephalic veins or superior vena cava. Normally, there are two superior PVs, one right and one left, and two inferior PVs, one right and one left. The right superior vein usually drains the right upper and middle lobe. The left superior vein drains the left upper lobe including the lingula. The inferior veins drain their respective lower lobe. PV anatomy is more variable than pulmonary arterial anatomy, and developmental anomalies are common. This article describes, illustrates and reviews the common anomalies of the PVs in our experience performing over 1000-pre-radiofrequency ablation cardiac MDCT studies. The commonest anomalies are supernumerary or accessory veins (on the right) and a (left) common trunk. More rarely, partial anomalous pulmonary venous return and Cor triatriatum are seen, and rarest of all is total anomalous pulmonary venous return, PV varix and single or multiple vein stenosis or atresia.

Successful correction of unroofed coronary sinus with pulmonary vein stenosis

We present a case of an infant with an unroofed coronary sinus associated with a persistent left superior vena cava draining into the left atrium, right superior pulmonary vein stenosis, an atretic left superior pulmonary vein and a double-outlet right ventricle. For pulmonary vein stenosis and atresia, we used a sutureless technique with an autologous pericardial patch to create a neoatrium.