Progress in vascular surgery has been owing to the development of vascular prosthesis. However, clinical results of small-caliber synthetic vascular prostheses, which were applied to coronary surgery and infrainguinal arterial reconstruction, have been still inferior to those of autogenous vein graft. Since Maruyama succeeded in culturing vascular endothelial cells from human umbilical cord vein in 1963, tissue culture of vascular endothelium has played an important role of clarifying various aspects of thrombosis, fibrinolysis and atherosclerosis. In order to improve the patency rate of small-caliber vascular graft, the idea to connect tissue culture with synthetic material was occurred to mind. Since 1978 endothelial cell seeding has been investigated for the purpose to provide native antithrombogenicity to synthetic vascular prosthesis. There were many reports about the better patency, the earlier endothelialization and the less platelet adhesion on the luminal surface of the experimentally seeded graft. Recently “prelined graft”, which is made from in vitro seeding of cultured endothelial cells, has been paid attention to rather than the classical technique of endothelial seeding with preclotting method. In our bioresearch laboratory vascular endothelial cells were derived enzymatically from canine external jugular veins. They were cultured to confluency and seeded in vitro to small-caliber vascular prostheses by the rotation method. Experimental results of animal implantation in 8 weeks revealed that the endothelial seeded graft had superior patency to control graft. Seeded endothelial cells were observed histologically to form monolayer lining at the middle portion on the inner surface. Their function was confirmed by the peroxidase antiperoxidase reaction to identify Factor VIII related antigen in the cell body. Subendothelial structure was examined thinner in the intimal area of good endothelial coverage. There are several problems about hybrid vascular prosthesis, which is concomitantly composed of synthetic material and cultured vascular cells. First, experienced technique of tissue culture should be mastered for harvesting cells and maintenance of the experimental graft. Study of vascular smooth muscle cell and extracellular matrix should be also advanced in pararell with that of endothelial cells. Synthetic material should be searched in pursuit of biodegradable or bioresorbable graft which is expected to have cell affinity. Concerning the cell attachment, necessity of coating substance on the graft such as adhesive protein should be reconsidered. Seeded endothelial cells should be evaluated from the immunological point of view before clinical application, because cultured cells from human vascular wall may acquire various antigenicity in the course of tissue culture. Seeding of cultured endothelial cells in vitro will be an evolutionary trend for the development of small-caliber synthetic vascular prosthesis.

We report a case of an overlapping ulcerative colitis and aortitis syndrome. A 28-year-old woman with ulcerative colitis in the region from the rectum to the sigmoid colon developed left anterior cervical pain. A cervical contrast-enhanced computed tomography and an arch aortography showed diffuse narrowing of the left common carotid artery and segmental stenosis of the left subclavian artery involving the orifice of the vertebral artery, which defined the diagnosis as aortitis syndrome. HLA was positive for BW 52, which is frequently found in patient with this type of overlapping syndrome. Treatment with prednisolone was begun at an initial dose of 20mg/day, with gradual tapering to 5mg/day at 11 months later, when her symptoms had subsided and laboratory findings of inflammation had disappeared. One year later, she became apathetic in mental activity, and had a poor memory. She also complained of numbness on the left side of her face. Angiography confirmed the progression of the left common carotid narrowing causing the deterioration of her cerebral ischemic symptom. A saphenous vein bypass graft was placed between the right subclavian artery and the left common carotid artery. The postoperative course was uneventful and she had complete symptomatic relief and recovered active ordinary life. Postoperative angiography revealed the well functioning bypass graft.

An emergency saphenous vein bypass was performed from the right internal iliac artery to the superior mesenteric artery for ischemia due to occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery complicated with acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection. A 68-year-old woman underwent ascending aortic graft replacement for acute aortic dissection as emergency procedure. On postoperative day 4, signs and symptoms of acute mesenteric ischemia clearly developed. Laparotomy was performed and the saphenous vein graft was used to bypass the right internal iliac artery and the superior mesenteric artery at the orifice of the ileocolic artery where it was free from dissection. Because of persistent diarrhea and cramping abdominal pain, second- and third-look operations were necessary in order to confirm the recovery of intestinal viability. The patient was discharged from hospital with complete relief of abdominal symptoms 110 days after the first operation.

A 44-year-old male, with past history of mitral valve re-replacement, tricuspid annuloplasty and re-replacement of aorto-biiliac prosthetic graft 4 years previously, was admitted to Asahi General Hospital because of massive melena, sepsis and shock. Angiography revealed a false aneurysm at the site of the anastomosis between the graft and the right external iliac artery. He was diagnosed as having graft-enteric fistula, and the emergency operation, including partial resection of the graft, excision of the false aneurysm and extraanatomic bypass, was performed successfully. Pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of graft-enteric fistula are discussed.

Water Jet flow was projected at normal human aortic walls and human chronic obstructive iliac arteries in the air or in the ordinary saline solution. Ordinary saline solution was used for the jet, which was projected at a pressure of 10kg·f/cm² through a nozzle 0.10mm in diameter. When the Water Jet was projected at the normal aortic intima, damage to the wall was more severe with duration of fluid projection, and projection for ten sec ruprured the elastic fiber of the media. But when the fluid jet projected ordinary saline, damage to the aortic wall was slight and projection for 30sec only dissected the surface of the intima. Water Jet projection in air showed slight effect on thrombi of the chronic obstructive iliac arteries, and projection for 60sec only made small irregular holes in the thrombi. When the Water Jet was projected in ordinary saline solution, however, destructive effects on thrombi were stronger and the projection for 40sec could remove almost all the thrombi for a distance of 2cm, while damage to the initima was very slight. This study demonstrated that fluid jet projection using ordinary saline solution could remove thrombi in chronically obstructive artery safely and effectively and suggested the possibility of the Water Jet angioplasty.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the postoperative growth of untreated segments of the dissected aorta with non-thrombotic communicating false lumen, and also to evaluate the clinical outcome in relation to the aortic enlargement after surgery. Nineteen patients who underwent surgical treatment of aortic dissection were studied with enhanced CT scans and angiograms during the postoperative follow-up period. In Stanford type A patients, mean aortic dilatation rate calculated at the segment showing maximal dilatation was 5.1mm/year during 13-82 months (average, 41 months) after surgery, as a sequela of enlargement of the false lumen. Differences in the aortic dilatation rates between the different segments of the aorta were observed and these were per annum 4.8mm in the ascending aorta, 5.4mm in the transverse aortic arch, 4.3mm in the proximal descending aorta, 2.7mm in the distal descending aorta and 2.4mm in the abdominal aorta. In all patients, major communications were detected at the perianastomotic sites on angiography. In Stanford type B patients, false lumens with small communications were observed to show gradual thrombotic occlusion, but no significant aortic dilatation was detected during the follow-up period (13-70 months, average: 44 months), except three cases of sudden death who had major communications. Nine late events related to dissection, consisting of 4 sudden deaths suspected to be due to aortic rupture, 2 intestinal necroses and 3 cerebral infarctions, occured in 6 patients (32%), among which three patients had undergone arterial fenestration, one of whom had double barrel anastomosis. In the remaining two, major leakages were recognized at distal aortic anastomotic sites on postoperative angiography. The results of this study, we stress the importance of periodic check-ups using enhanced CT scan and if necessary, angiography after surgery of the patients having communicating false lumen. Early detection of progressive aneurysm formation and timely surgical reintervention can yield a good prognosis.

A 64-year-old man was admitted with intermittent high fever of 4 months duration and with three episodes of arterial embolism in the previous 2 months. Several investigations revealed evidence that those episodes involving bilateral popliteal arteries and the left external iliac artery originated from mycotic emboli. Severe mitral insufficiency due to infective endocarditis was also recognized. The ischemic symptoms improved after medical treatment. Despite antibiotic therapy for 4 weeks, inflammatory signs did not subside. Since aneurysm formation of the left external iliac artery at the embolized portion was detected on CT, mitral valve replacement and aneurysmectomy with femoro-femoral grafting were done concomitantly. Inflammatory signs disappeared immediately after the operation. Pathological findings indicated organization of the mitral vegetation and evidence of active infection in the aneurysm wall. Though aneurysmal change of a symptomatic embolized site is not common, the preoperative evaluation of possible associated mycotic aneurysm is important to decide on surgical strategy for infective endocarditis complicated by embolism.

A 57-year-old man suffered hemoptysis during an examination for gastric carcinoma. Enhanced computed tomography demonstrated rupture of a thoracic aortic aneurysm to the left pulmonary lower lobe. The lateral segment of the liver was atrophic due to intrahepatic cholelithiasis. Emergency operation was performed after he was transferred to our hospital. The thoracic aorta was reconstructed using a temporary bypass and the pulmonary left lower lobe was resected. The omentum was mobilized and used to cover the prosthesis and bronchial stump. The gastric carcinoma and intrahepatic cholelithiasis with biliary stones in the common bile duct were treated in the next procedure. The pathologic examination revealed lymph node metastasis; thus this operation was recognized to be absolutely noncurative. The treatment of cardiovascular disease concomitant with malignancy remains controversial. The strategy to treat such patients is discussed in this report.

Celiac artery aneurysm (CAA) is very rare. We report a case of CAA with type IIIb aortic dissection (DA) which was treated surgically. A 60-year-old man who had an abnormal enlargement of the aorta on abdominal ultrasonography was admitted to our hospital. Angiography and CT scan revealed CAA with type IIIb DA. His general condition was stable and surgery was performed electively. The CAA was exposed through a median laparotomy. It was found to be about 3cm in diameter. As vascular reconstruction seemed difficult and the proper hepatic artery showed good pulsation after clamping the common hepatic artery, we decided to perform celiac artery aneurysmectomy without vascular reconstruction. Except for transient liver dysfunction, there was no other complication and he was discharged on the 24th postoperative day. During surgery for CAA, when collateral perfusion from the SMA to the liver is adequate, it seems that vascular reconstruction is not always necessary as shown by this case.

A 52-year-old man presented with a pulsatile mass in the right groin. He had undergone lumbar sympathectomy and aorto-right femoral artery bypass using an 8mm Microvel double velour graft, 14 years previously, for aortoiliac occlusive disease caused by thromboangiitis obliterans. Based on a clinical diagnosis of an anastomotic aneurysm, an operation was performed. When the aneurysm was incised, it was found that the anastomosis of the graft to the femoral artery was intact and that the graft itself had a defect, 3cm in size on the anterior wall, 1.5cm proximal to the distal anastomosis. The final diagnosis was a nonanastomotic false aneurysm due to prosthetic graft failure. The failed portion of the graft was resected, and a 10mm Hemashield Gold woven double velour graft was interposed between the old graft and the right femoral artery. Generally, arterial grafts below the groin are subject to high levels of mechanical stress, and graft failure is not uncommon. Vascular surgeons should keep in mind that graft failure is not rare in patients with long-standing prosthetic grafts.