PURPOSE: Salvage operation is performed to improve the functional deficit of vascular access. This study is planned to evaluate the utility of the hybrid surgery through a comparative analysis between the results of surgical thrombectomy and those of hybrid surgery, combining surgical methods and endovascular treatments. METHODS: From January 2007 to December 2008, surgical thrombectomy had been done to 55 patients, whereas hybrid surgery had been done to 111 patients from January 2009 to December 2011. We have done a comparative analysis on the patency rate after the salvage operation for each group, retrospectively. Medical records were reviewed for patient information and radiographic data was used for checking the stenosis site in the hybrid surgery group. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups, including age, gender, diabetes status, hypertension, and vascular access site or type. The primary patency rate was significantly higher in arteriovenous fistulas (65%) compared with arteriovenous grafts group (55%), at 12 months (P<0.01). At one year after the salvage operation, the secondary patency rate was higher in the hybrid surgery group compared to the surgical thrombectomy group (43.8% vs. 23.7%, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: This study shows that hybrid surgery combining surgical methods and endovascular treatments can be more useful for the salvaging of thrombosed vascular access than performing only surgical thrombectomy.
Arteriovenous Fistula ; Chimera ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Thrombectomy ; Transplants

PURPOSE: Luciferase is one of the most commonly used reporter enzymes in the field of in vivo optical imaging. D-luciferin, the substrate for firefly luciferase has very high cost that allows this kind of experiment limited to small animals such as mice and rats. In this current study, we validated local injection of D-luciferin in the articular capsule for bioluminescence imaging in rabbits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chondrocytes were cultured and infected by replication-defective adenoviral vector encoding firefly luciferase (Fluc). Chondrocytes expressing Fluc were injected or implanted in the left knee joint. The rabbits underwent optical imaging studies after local injection of D-luciferin at 1, 5, 7, 9 days after cellular administration. We sought whether optimal imaging signals was could be by a cooled CCD camera after local injection of D-luciferin. RESULTS: Imaging signal was not observed from the left knee joint after intraperitoneal injection of D-luciferin (15 mg/kg), whereas it was observed after intraarticular injection. Photon intensity from the left knee joint of rabbits was compared between cell injected and implanted groups after intraarticular injection of D-luciferin. During the period of imaging studies, photon intensity of the cell implanted group was 5-10 times higher than that of the cell injected group. CONCLUSION: We successfully imaged chondrocytes expressing Fluc after intraarticular injection of D-luciferin. This technique may be further applied to develop new drugs for knee joint disease.
Adenoviridae ; Animals ; Chondrocytes* ; Fireflies ; Injections, Intra-Articular* ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Joint Capsule ; Knee Joint ; Luciferases ; Mice ; Optical Imaging ; Rabbits* ; Rats