Humans ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; Aorta, Abdominal/pathology* ; Immunity, Innate

A case of leaking abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysm following treatment of bilateral renal stones by extracopored shock wave lithotripsy(ESWL) is presented. Screening of the abdominal aortic pathology is recommended for a patient who needs ESWL for treatment of renal stones. Ultrasonography may be the diagnostic procedure of choice for pre- and post-ESWL evaluation of abdominal aortic pathology.
Aneurysm, False* ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal* ; Humans ; Lithotripsy* ; Mass Screening ; Pathology ; Shock* ; Ultrasonography

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) was initially introduced as a less invasive alternative to conventional open repair. EVAR was subsequently adopted as a treatment option for abdominal aortic aneurysm. In Korea, open repair is more widely available than EVAR, although EVAR can be performed in several hospitals. Due to the rapidly aging population in Korea, there has been a shift from private healthcare to government-regulated universal coverage and EVAR may be a more feasible option for cardiovascular interventionalists in these days. The improvement of EVAR was rapidly attained by many pioneers for the last two decades. Although issues such as indications and durability of EVAR remain to be elucidated, its application can be extended further of milder invasiveness-related effects on comorbidities and less discomfort to patients. Aortic stent-grafting has been performed for various aortoiliac pathologies over the last 13 years at our cardiovascular center.1-3) This article presents a comprehensive review on EVAR by focusing on the clinical trials, indications, complications, and expertise in decision making for EVAR.
Aging ; Aneurysm ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Aortic Aneurysm ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal* ; Comorbidity ; Decision Making ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Korea ; Pathology ; Stents ; Universal Coverage

We report a case of surgically treated abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a patient having crossed ectopia with fusion anomaly of the kidney. One artery from the abdominal aorta above the aneurysm supplies the right kidney while three renal arteries (two from the aneurysm itself and one from the left common iliac artery) supply the crossed ectopic kidney. Preoperative imaging to define the arterial and collecting systems along with a detailed planning of the operation is essential to prevent ischemic renal injury as well as ureteral injury during AAA repair.
Aged ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/*complications/pathology/*surgery ; Choristoma/*complications/pathology ; Human ; *Kidney ; Kidney Diseases/*complications/pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Male

Despite the wide acceptance of endovascular aneurysmal repair in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (EVAR), stringent morphologic criteria recommended by manufacturers may preclude this treatment in patients with AAA. The purpose of this study was to investigate how many patients are feasible by Zenith and Excluder stent graft system, which are available in Korea. Eighty-two AAA patients (71 men, mean age 70 yr) who had been treated surgically or medically from January 2005 to December 2006 were included. Criteria for morphologic suitability (MS) were examined to focus on characteristics of aneurysm; proximal and distal landing zone; angulation and involvement of both iliac artery aneurysms. Twenty-eight patients (34.1%) were feasible in Zenith stent graft and 31 patients (37.8%) were feasible in Excluder. The patients who were excluded EVAR had an average of 1.61 exclusion criteria. The main reasons for exclusion were an unfavorable proximal neck (n=34, 41.5%) and problem of distal landing zone (n=25, 30.5%). There was no statistical significance among gender, age or aneurysm size in terms of MS. Only 32 patients (39%) who had AAA were estimated to be suitable for two currently approved grafts by strict criteria. However, even unfavorable AAA patients who have severe co-mobidities will be included in EVAR in the near future. Therefore, more efforts including fine skill and anatomical understanding will be needed to meet these challenging cases.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/pathology/*surgery ; *Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation/methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

PURPOSE: This single-institution retrospective review examines the management of uninfected para-anastomotic aneurysms of the abdominal aorta (PAAA), developed after infrarenal grafting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From October 1979 to November 2005, 31 PAAA were observed in our Department. Twenty-six uninfected PAAA of degenerative etiology, including 24 false and 2 true aneurysms, were candidates for intervention and retrospectively included in our database for management and outcome evaluation. Six (23%) patients were treated as emergencies. Surgery included tube graft interposition (n = 12), new reconstruction (n = 8), and graft removal with extra-anatomic bypass (n = 3). Endovascular management (n = 3) consisted of free-flow tube endografts. RESULTS: The mortality rate among the elective and emergency cases was 5% and 66.6%, respectively (p = 0.005). The morbidity rate in elective cases was 57.8%, whereas 75% in emergency cases (p = 0.99). The survival rate during the follow-up was significantly higher for elective cases than for emergency cases. CONCLUSION: Uninfected PAAA is a late complication of aortic grafting, tends to evolve silently and is difficult to diagnose. The prevalence is underestimated and increases with time since surgery. The mortality rate is higher among patients treated as an emergency than among patients who undergo elective surgery, therefore, elective treatment and aggressive management in the case of pseudoaneurysm are the keys to obtain a good outcome. Endovascular treatment could reduce mortality. Patients who undergo infrarenal aortic grafting require life-long surveillance after surgery.
Aged ; Aneurysm, False/surgery ; Aneurysm, Infected/pathology/*surgery ; Aorta, Abdominal/pathology/surgery ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/*surgery ; *Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Aorta, Abdominal ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Contrast Media ; Humans ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods ; Ultrasonography ; methods

BACKGROUNDInflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms (IAAAs) are rare but distinct clinical entities of atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysms (aAAAs). In this study we report a 20-year single institution experience for IAAA and analyze their clinical features and long term outcome in comparison with aAAA.

METHODSBetween 1988 and 2008, 412 cases of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) underwent elective surgical operations, 11 (2.7%) of whom were diagnosed as IAAAs and 389 (94.4%) were diagnosed as aAAAs. The former group was matched in a case control fashion to a group of 33 patients with aAAAs having similar characteristics of age, gender, and preoperative risk factors. All available clinical, pathologic, and postoperative variables were retrospectively reviewed, and the two groups were compared.

RESULTSThe two groups did not differ significantly in clinical characteristics and preoperative risk factors, although patients with IAAAs were significantly more symptomatic (100% vs. 42.4%, P = 0.001) and had larger aneurysms on admission ((7.4 +/- 0.7) cm vs. (6.3 +/- 0.9) cm, P = 0.006). In IAAAs, the preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate was found to be significantly elevated compared to aAAA group ((44.5 +/- 9.1) mm/h vs. (11.4 +/- 5.4) mm/h, P < 0.05). Surgical morbidity and mortality rates did not differ between the two groups. The operation time for patients with IAAAs was significantly longer than that for patients with aAAAs ((308 +/- 36) minutes vs. (224 +/- 46) minutes, P < 0.05), but the cross-clamp time was similar in both groups ((41.5 +/- 6.2) minutes vs. (41.8 +/- 6.2) minutes, P = 0.92). A five-year survival rate analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.711).

CONCLUSIONSDespite having more symptoms, larger size and longer operation time, patients with IAAA can now be treated with approaches that cause low morbidity and mortality, similar to patients with aAAA. Long term outcome of IAAA patients is of no difference from aAAA patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Atherosclerosis ; complications ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; complications ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Aortoenteric fistula is one of the most challenging problems that confront the vascular surgeons. Controversy remains over the optimal treatment because of the continued publication of series with high mortality, amputation, and aortic disruption rates. A positive preoperative blood culture is the best predictor of mortality with increased amputation rates due to infection of the extra-anatomic bypass. Therefore, in selected cases with sepsis, a prudent management protocol is required. We report a 68-yr-old male presenting with a chronic primary aortoduodenal fistula extensively involving the duodenum and Gram-negative sepsis. We planned a staged operation. Initially, an emergency laparotomy and control of the aorta allowed stabilization of the patient, identification of the fistula, and direct in situ placement of the prosthetic graft followed by an en bloc resection of the aneurysm and the surrounding structures. After he recovered from sepsis and had been stabilized, a staged extra-anatomic bypass followed by transabdominal removal of the temporarily placed graft was done. This management plan will allow the highest success rate and may be a prudent management protocol for these difficult cases.
Aged ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/complications/*pathology/*surgery ; Chronic Disease ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; Duodenum/pathology ; Human ; Intestinal Fistula/complications/*pathology/*surgery ; Male ; Sepsis/*complications ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effect of close contact between the stent and the graft on the induction of endothelial covering on the stent graft placed over an aneurysm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Saccular abdominal aortic aneurysms were made with Dacron patch in eight dogs. The stent graft consisted of an inner stent, a expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft, and an outer stent. After sacrificing the animals, the aortas with an embedded stent graft were excised. The aortas were inspected grossly and evaluated microscopically. RESULTS: The animals were sacrificed at two (n = 3), six (n = 3), and eight months (n = 2) after endovascular repair. In two dogs, the aortic lumen was occluded at two months after the placement. On gross inspection of specimens from the other six dogs with a patent aortic lumen, stent grafts placed over the normal aortic wall were covered by glossy white neointima, whereas, stent grafts placed over the aneurysmal aortic wall were covered by brownish neointima. On microscopic inspection, stent grafts placed over the normal aortic wall were covered by thin neointima (0.27 +/- 0.05 mm, mean +/- standard deviation) with an endothelial layer, and stent grafts placed over the aneurysmal aortic wall were covered by thick neointima (0.62 +/- 0.17 mm) without any endothelial lining. Transgraft cell migration at the normal aortic wall was more active than that at the aneurysmal aortic wall. CONCLUSION: Close contact between the stent and the graft, which was achieved with stent grafts with endo-exo-skeleton, could not enhance endothelial covering on the stent graft placed over the aneurysms.
Animals ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/pathology/*therapy ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dogs ; Endothelium, Vascular/cytology/pathology ; *Stents ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed