In the past, aortic dissection, aortic aneurysm, and other aortic diseases, primarily rely on surgical intervention. In recent years, due to breakthroughs in materials science, endovascular therapy has become the first choice for the surgical treatment of most aortic diseases. However, traditional endovascular repair cannot fully meet the clinical needs for certain complex lesions involving the aortic arch and the originations of visceral arteries. The emergence of physician-modified stent technology has brought new hope for the treatment of complex aortic diseases. This article provides a detailed introduction to the concept, development, technical characteristics, and applications of physician-modified stents in the treatment of aortic diseases, analyzing their advantages and limitations. Physician-modified stents serve as a powerful complement to traditional endovascular interventions and commercial branched stents, yet further research and refinement are still required.

Objective:To compare the efficacy and safety of Rotarex mechanical thrombectomy (Rotarex) combined with drug-coated balloon (DCB) versus percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) combined with DCB in the treatment of femoropopliteal artery in-stent restenosis (ISR).Methods:A multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted. 46 patients with femoropopliteal artery ISR admitted to five hospitals (Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University; Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University; Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University; Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University; Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University) from July 2020 to June 2024 were enrolled. Patients were randomly divided into the Rotarex+ DCB group ( n=24) and the PTA+ DCB group ( n=22) using a random number table. The clinical data of the two groups were collected, including clinical characteristics, Fontaine classification, stent placement location, stent duration, and lesion length. The primary endpoint was the target blood vessel patency rate at 6 and 12 months postoperatively; the secondary endpoints included improvement in clinical symptoms (Fontaine classification), rate of reintervention, and safety indicators. Measurement data were expressed as mean±standard deviation ( ± s), and the t-test was used for comparison between groups; count data were expressed as the number of cases and percentages, and intergroup comparisons were performed using the Chi-test or Fisher exact probability method. Results:At 12 months postoperatively, the target blood vessel patency rate in the Rotarex+ DCB group was significantly higher than that in the PTA+ DCB group (81.8% vs 45.5%, P=0.012), and the proportion of patients in Fontaine classification stage I was also higher (86.4% vs 45.5%, P=0.004). The results at the 6-month follow-up were consistent (target blood vessel patency rate: 87.0% vs 59.1%, P=0.035). In terms of safety, no severe complications such as arterial rupture, amputation, or procedure-related death occurred during the perioperative period in either group. During the postoperative follow-up, no amputation or procedure-related deaths occurred in either group. Conclusion:For the treatment of femoropopliteal artery ISR, Rotarex mechanical thrombectomy combined with DCB is significantly superior to PTA+ DCB in terms of 12-month target blood vessel patency rate and improvement of clinical symptoms, with comparable safety.

Objective:To summarise and analyse the experience in the diagnosis and management of abdominal aortic endograft infection in recent years.Methods:Retrospectively summarised and analysed the general data, clinical presentation, laboratory and imaging findings, causative organisms and treatment choices of 14 patients with abdominal aortic endograft infection treated in Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 2018 to June 2024, and analysed the prognosis of the patients and the risk factors associated with prognosis.Results:Positive bacterial cultures were 10 out of 14 patients. One non-operatively treated patient died of infectious toxic shock. Thirteen surgically treated patients underwent axillary-bifemoral artery bypass, removal of the infected stent, and closure of the aortic stump. Four of the 13 cases had combined aortoenteric fistula, 3 cases underwent one-stage enterocutaneous fistula repair, 1 case only fistula drainage, 3 cases of gastrojejunal anastomosis, all of them underwent gastric or jejunal nutrient tube implantation. Two of the 13 patients had combined the infection foci spread to the renal artery openings. To save the kidney, intraoperative left kidney autologous renal transplantation was performed in 1 case, and autologous saphenous vein reconstruction from celiac trunk artery-left renal artery and superior mesenteric artery-right renal artery was performed in the other case. All 14 patients were retrospectively summarised and followed up in August 2024, with 5 deaths in the early postoperative period (< 3 months), 3 deaths in the mid- to long-term period (≥3 months), and 5 survivors, with a median follow-up time of 2 years (1-5 years) for surviving patients. Among the 13 operated patients, 4 cases were combined with aortoenteric fistula, and 3 cases died in the early postoperative period; 4 cases of abdominal aortic infection foci involving renal artery openings, 2 cases of early postoperative death; 4 cases with pleural effusion, 4 cases died in the early postoperative period; 2 cases of combined creatinine elevation, 2 cases of early postoperative death; 2 cases of postoperative infection of artificial blood vessels.Conclusions:Abdominal aortic endograft infection are aggressive. The risk of early death is increased in patients who are elderly, in poor general condition, with aortoenteric fistula or with pre-existing cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic and renal insufficiency, but surgery based on adequate anti-infective therapy remains an effective means of saving the patient′s life.

Objective:To discuss the clinical effect of endovascular treatment of 15 patients with spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection(SISMAD).Methods:The clinical data of 15 patients with SISMAD treated with endovascular stent in Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from January 2016 to July 2022 were collected and analyzed. The white blood cell, neutrophil percentage (NEUT%) and D-Dimer at admission, day 1 and day 3 after operation were analyzed and compared retrospectively. The time of abdominal pain at admission, YOO classification, angle from superior mesenteric artery to abdominal aorta(ASA), conservative treatment time, operation time, type and length of stent, vascular remodeling rate and long-term patency rate of stent were analyzed. The measurement data conforming to normal distribution was expressed as mean ± standard deviation ( ± s), t-test was used for comparison between the two groups. Measurement data of skewed distribution were expressed as M ( Q1, Q3), and non-parametric test was used for comparison between groups. Count data were expressed as rate or component ratio(%). The same variable was compared at different time points by repeated measurement data analysis of variance. Results:There were significant differences in white blood cell, NEUT% and D-Dimer between admission and postoperative day 3 in 15 patients. The time to admission for abdominal pain was 24.0(15.0, 78.0) hours. IVS type accounted for 46.7% of YOO type, and the ASA beyond 60° accounted for 66.7%. The conservative treatment time was (34.0±8.6) hours, moreover, the operation time was(153.0±37.8) min. Besides, self-expanding bare stent accounted for 85% of the stent types, moreover, the length of the stents beyond 60 cm was 50%. All patients were followed up for more than 24 months, and the vascular remodeling rate was(89.7±9.7)%.Conclusion:Endovascular self-expanding thin-wall stent placement has better vascular remodeling rate and patency rate for patients with IVS type.

Objective:To investigate the application effect of WeChat group combined with case-based learning (CBL) in probation teaching of vascular surgery.Methods:A total of 128 intern doctors of the seven-year medical program in vascular surgery were selected and divided into experimental group (WeChat group combined with CBL teaching) and control group (CBL teaching alone), and a unified assessment method was used to evaluate the mastery degree of professional theories and clinical knowledge and assess the teaching effect of these two teaching modes in vascular surgery. SPSS 22.0 was used to perform the t-test. Results:Compared with the control group, the experimental group had significantly higher scores of theoretical examination [(86.36±7.42) vs. (84.71±6.72)] and clinical examination [(88.44±7.62) vs. (86.22±6.41)], as well as significantly higher degrees of satisfaction with learning interest, classroom climate, self-learning ability, clinical thinking ability, and teamwork spirit.Conclusion:The teaching mode of WeChat group combined with CBL can improve the effect of the probation teaching of vascular surgery and the self-learning and clinical thinking abilities of intern doctors.

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors and clinical effect analysis of the choice of treatment method for spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection (SISMAD).Methods:The clinical data of 35 patients with SISMAD admitted to Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from December 2015 to November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into conservative group ( n=24) and surgical group (endoluminal stent group + open surgery group, n=11). The conservative group was treated with conservative methods, the endoluminal stent group ( n=10) was treated with endoluminal stent placement, and the open surgery group ( n=1) was treated with superior mesenteric artery endarterectomy + angioplasty + ileal resection. The white blood cell (WBC) count on admission, the time of abdominal pain, YOO classification, aorta mesenteric angle(AMA), and the length of hospital stay between the two groups were analyzed. All patients were followed up for more than 24 months, at the end of which the vascular remodeling rate of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) between the two groups was studied. In addition, the primary patency rate and secondary patency rate of intracavitary stents were analyzed. Measurement data that conform to normal distribution were expressed as mean ± standard deviation ( ± s), and independent samples t-test was used for comparison between groups; measurement data that do not conform to normal distribution were expressed as median (interquartile range) [ M( Q1,Q3)], the nonparametric test was used for comparison between groups. Enumeration data were compared between groups using the Chi-square test. Results:Univariate analysis showed that compared with the conservative group, the IVS type in YOO classificationin of surgical group was significantly more than the conservative group. There was no significant difference in WBC, duration of abdominal pain, or AMA at admission ( P>0.05). In addition, the length of hospital stay in the conservative group was significantly shorter than that in the surgical group. No intestinal necrosis occurred in endoluminal stent group. After 24 months of follow-up, the remodeling rate of SMA in the surgical group was higher than that in the conservative group; the primary patency rate of the endoluminal stent group was 87.5%, and the secondary patency rate was 100%. One patient in the conservative group developed SMA dissection aneurysm during 12 months of follow-up and received endovascular treatment. Conclusions:For the treatment of SISMAD, most patients can be cured by conservative treatment. However, for patients with consistent abdominal pain and IVS type in YOO classification, if there is no severe manifestation of peritonitis, it is recommended to perform endovascular stent placement as soon as possible to open the blood supply. Meanwhile, the SMA stenting has an ideal long-term patency rate and vascular remodeling rate.

BACKGROUNDTherapeutic angiogenesis has been shown to promote blood vessel growth and improve tissue perfusion. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in angiogenesis. However, it has side effects that limit its therapeutic utility in vivo, especially at high concentrations. This study aimed to investigate whether an intramuscular injection of a genetically engineered zinc finger VEGF-activating transcription factor modulates the endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and promotes therapeutic angiogenesis in a hindlimb ischemia model with type 1 diabetes.

METHODSAlloxan (intravenous injection) was used to induce type I diabetes in C57BL/6 mice (n = 58). The ischemic limb received ZFP-VEGF (125 µg ZFP-VEGF plasmid in 1% poloxamer) or placebo (1% poloxamer) intramuscularly. Mice were sacrificed 3, 5, 10, or 20 days post-injection. Limb blood flow was monitored using laser Doppler perfusion imaging. VEGF mRNA and protein expression were examined using real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. Capillary density, proliferation, and apoptosis were examined using immunohistochemistry techniques. Flow cytometry was used to detect the EPC population in bone marrow. Two-tailed Student's paired t test and repeated-measures analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTSZFP-VEGF increased VEGF mRNA and protein expression at 3 and 10 days post-injection, and increased EPC in bone marrow at day 5 and 20 post-injection compared with controls (P < 0.05). ZFP-VEGF treatment resulted in better perfusion recovery, a higher capillary density and proliferation, and less apoptosis compared with controls (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIntramuscular ZFP-VEGF injection promotes therapeutic angiogenesis in an ischemic hindlimb model with type 1 diabetes. This might be due to the effects of VEGF on cell survival and EPC recruitment.

Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; metabolism ; Endothelial Progenitor Cells ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Hindlimb ; pathology ; Ischemia ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism