OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this work was to define the anatomical landmarks, limitations, and difficulties of obtaining internal carotid artery (ICA) exposure via endonasal endoscopic approaches (EEA). STUDY DESIGN: Cadaveric descriptive study. METHODS: The ICA was dissected via EEA in 10 cadaveric specimens (20 sides) prepared with intravascular injections of ...

Corevalve dislocation has been reported to significantly increase the perioperative risk for severe complications and poor outcomes. We describe the case of an 87-year-old man who was referred to our center for transcatheter aortic valve implantation and who experienced an original complication after Corevalve dislocation by subclavian approach. Indeed, during ...

A primary predictor for success with catheter-based treatment of structural heart disease is having safe remote access to the heart. The devices for transcatheter aortic valve replacement require large-bore access, but many patients with severe aortic stenosis also have iliofemoral disease or relative contraindications to transapical access. In such situations, ...

Objective Interrupted aortic arch (IAA) combined with an aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) is frequently associated with a hypoplastic ascending aorta. Neonatal surgical therapy carries a high risk particularly for aortic arch obstructions during the further follow-up. Methods We performed a modified reconstruction of the aortic arch utilizing the ARSA as a ...

We report here the first case, to our knowledge, of pulmonary valve replacement being performed via a left thoracotomy approach in a patient with pectus excavatum who had 3 previous sternotomies. The merit of this approach and its feasibility are discussed.

Percutaneous coronary intervention was performed for chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the right coronary artery (RCA) in a 55-year-old man. CT coronary angiography (CTCA) with a 64-slice scanner showed a large calcified plaque at the entrance to the CTO. A stent that had been implanted at the RCA ostium 10 ...

Purpose: We hypothesized that comprehensive neck dissection could be achieved via a gasless transaxillary approach using a robotic system. We intended to evaluate the accessibility of level I, IIB and VA nodes with transaxillary robot-assisted neck dissection of four cadavers. Materials and Methods: Transaxillary robotic neck dissection was performed in ...

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an emergent technique for high-risk patients with aortic stenosis. TAVI poses significant challenges about its management because of the procedure itself and the population who undergo the implantation. Two devices are currently available and marketed in Europe and several other technologies are being developed. ...

A new approach in carotid endarterectomy (CEA) was developed for high carotid artery lesions. With the authors' use of the posterior cervical triangle approach, 20 patients with a high carotid artery lesion were successfully treated with CEA. Accessory nerve palsy in 1 patient and hoarseness in 4 patients were encountered ...

Rapid revascularization of tandem extracranial and intracranial acute thromboembolic occlusions can be challenging and can delay restoration of blood flow to the cerebral circulation. Taking advantage of collateral pathways in the circle of Willis for thrombectomy can reduce the occlusion-to-revascularization time significantly, thereby protecting brain tissue from ischemic injury. The ...

Aortic dissections remain complicated management issues both in the acute setting and in the chronic setting. Acute problems revolve around malperfusion syndromes or rupture, whereas chronic issues progress from the development of aneurysms in the residual dissected aorta. Endovascular approaches to dealing with these difficult situations are being used more ...

Purpose: Visualization of the basilar artery (BA) by transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCD) can be challenging. The detection of stenosis or occlusion of the BA often has to rely on indirect signs like a highly pulsatile flow in the vertebral arteries. In case of a distal BA occlusion, however, the ...

The experience with a new approach of using combined debulking technique for treating heavily calcified coronary artery lesions with both LASER and high speed rotational atherectomy, which is being labeled as RASER PCI, is described. The RASER PCI approach has been used in three different patients with severely calcified, undilatable ...

Imaging-guided parenchymal liver biopsy for diffuse liver disease is increasingly performed via an epigastric route from the left lobe, as opposed to the more traditional intercostal right-sided approach. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all liver biopsies performed at our department for 3 years (July 2007 through June 2010). A ...

We describe a new surgical technique performed in a heart-transplanted patient who underwent transcatheter repair of combined ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm and aortic arch aneurysm. The endografts were deployed through a left ventricular transapical approach by using a left mini-thoracotomy after previous debranching of the brachiocephalic vessels.

The hybrid approach to the treatment of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome most commonly includes transcatheter placement of a stent in the arterial duct and surgical placement of bands on the branch pulmonary arteries via median sternotomy. This manuscript will review the concept of hybrid palliation and discuss topics ...

BRAIN ischemia stroke is a devastating disease, with more than 10% stroke patients either severely disabled or dead. Although rodent fil- ament middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model can mimic human brain ischemic stroke well, its wide use was restricted by difficulty in surgery, especially in ligating pterygopalatine artery (PPA).

The cervical approach was the first to be used by neuroangiography pioneers, but due to limited access, drawbacks, and significant complications it was surpassed long ago in favor of the femoral approach. However, common carotid access can be a valuable alternative to femoral access in selected neuroendovascular cases, particularly in ...

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the coronary artery represents a difficult group of lesions for percutaneous interventions. Conventionally, antegrade approach has been used to open these lesions, but recent literature provides evidence for the utility of retrograde approach in cases where initial antegrade approach is either not feasible or fails ...

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the feasibility of inserting a new equine stented-valve with a sinus portion in a lamb survival model, through a minimally invasive thoracotomy with right ventricular access without cardiopulmonary bypass. BACKGROUND: Extant surgical or percutaneous methods for inserting biological valves in the right outflow tract have drawbacks ...

ABSTRACT: The not uncommon combination of ascending aortic pathology with late presenting coarctation is a difficult surgical challenge. The two stage approach is usually adopted. The necessity for cardiac transplantation adds to the complexity: a trans-sternal approach and single stage repair become mandatory.

Abstract Background: Therapeutic options for splenic artery aneurysm include endovascular management, laparoscopic surgery, and open surgery, although their indications and applications as standard therapy remain controversial. Methods: Between August 2009 and March 2011, three patients with splenic artery aneurysm were treated at our institution. All patients underwent laparoscopic surgery. Results: ...

OBJECTIVE: To present the authors' experience with a direct transcervical or transbrachial puncture approach in neuroendovascular procedures in which cranial access via the commonly used percutaneous transfemoral route was impossible because of tortuous upstream angioarchitecture. METHODS: During 1992-2007, 23 neuroendovascular procedures were performed in 21 patients via a direct puncture ...

Aims: Lesion location might influence the efficacy of the bifurcation two-stent approach relative to the one-stent approach. Methods and results: One-year outcomes after sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation with the two-stent approach were compared to those with the one-stent approach in left main coronary artery (LMCA) bifurcation (945 lesions) and in ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To describe a case of successful intracranial angioplasty and stenting of a symptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis using a transcervical approach. METHODS: A 73-year-old woman presented with several ischemic strokes in the left MCA distribution. A diagnostic cerebral angiogram demonstrated more than 80% stenosis of her ...

While endovascular techniques play a significant and expanding role in the management of basilar trunk aneurysms, open surgical clipping remains necessary in select cases. Expanded endonasal transclival approaches offer the advantage of direct access and visualization of the midline vertebrobasilar system, benefits ideally suited to a basilar trunk aneurysm. A ...

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The primary objective was to determine the feasibility of a vaginal approach to sacrocolpopexy using a cadaver model. Secondary objectives were to measure the distance from the vaginal introitus to the sacrum and distances of the sacral fixation elements to other vital structures. METHODS: Fourteen fresh-frozen cadavers ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether multiple aneurysms located in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), or internal carotid artery (ICA) could be treated through single-stage, ipsilateral dual craniotomies. METHODS: Investigators reviewed records of nine patients who underwent dual ipsilateral craniotomies through one incision for surgical treatment of multiple ...

BACKGROUND: Cannulation of the internal jugular vein (IJV) is traditionally performed using the central-longitudinal approach. Pneumothorax, carotid artery puncture, and failure to cannulate are uncommon, but by no means rare, complications. Ultrasound (US) guidance for IJV cannulation has reduced but not eliminated such complications. TECHNIQUE: We herein introduce a new ...

Pancreaticoduodenectomy is the best treatment for the patients with malignant tumors of the pancreatic head. However, the procedure is also recommended in some benign pancreatic tumors. The posterior approach allows early dissection of the superior mesenteric artery, portal vein and retroportal pancreatic lamina, before any pancreatic or digestive transection. We ...

Techniques for transcatheter aortic valve implantation involve manipulation of the native aortic valve and the aortic arch. As a result, excellent technical outcomes of this technique remain counterbalanced by a level of neurologic complications that remain unacceptably high. We present here a report of a new potential combined approach to ...

Study Design. Prospective studyObjective. To describe a midline anterior approach to the lumbar spine from the right side, below the aortic bifurcation to L5S1 and by mobilizing the vena cava from right to left between L2 and L5. Feasibility and complication rate related to the approach have been studied.Summary of ...

Subclavian stenting can be extremely difficult in a hostile type II aortic arch (with acute angulation of the subclavian artery origin) or type III aortic arch. This case illustrates use of a low-profile system to gain through-and-through (flossing) access through the brachial artery to facilitate stenting via the femoral approach. ...

Surgical approaches to a single ventricle with absent infrahepatic segment of the inferior vena cava include a bidirectional Glenn and separate hepatic venous connection to the pulmonary arteries. If sites of insertion into the pulmonary arteries are widely separated, hepatic flow is directed to only one lung. Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations ...

BACKGROUND: The management of complex paraclinoid aneurysms is still challenging. In this article we describe our approach to paraclinoid aneurysms, which has evolved over several years, using an exclusively intradural approach. METHOD: All procedures are done under continuous electrophysiological monitoring. A standard pterional approach is used to access the paraclinoid ...

We describe a case of complete endovascular repair of the ascending aorta using a transfemoral approach. A 59-year-old man with a history of two previous sternotomies experienced an ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm arising from the graft-to-graft anastomosis of a previous DeBakey type I aortic dissection repair. A custom-made Zenith TX2 (William ...

Aortic arch procedures have traditionally involved complex surgery with increased risk of mortality and morbidity. Throughout the last decade, however, novel and safe surgical approaches aimed at debranching the great vessels with definitive aortic arch repair have been developed. Currently, hybrid arch procedures allow for open or minimally invasive aortic ...

Abstract  Aim: We investigated the short and mid-term outcome of the transseptal approach to the mitral valve during multivalvular surgery. Methods: Within a three-year period ending in May 2010, we used the transseptal approach in performing mitral valve surgery in 62 patients. Procedures performed were: mitral valve replacement and tricuspid ...

To evaluate the usefulness of percutaneous aspiration thromboembolectomy (PAT) via a transbrachial approach in patients with acute upper limb ischemia. From July 2004 to March 2008, eleven patients with acute upper limb ischemia were enrolled in this study. They were initially treated with thrombolysis (n = 1), PAT (n = ...

OBJECTIVE: Reoperative sternotomy to address mitral valve pathology carries substantial risk, especially with patent bypass grafts or an aortic valve prosthesis. We previously reported our early experience with minimally invasive right thoracotomy and peripheral cannulation as an alternative strategy, and we recently reviewed our cumulative 15-year hospital outcomes with this ...

Currently introduced retrograde approach may increase the success rate of percutaneous coronary interventions on chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesion. This article describes a case of CTO in the left circumflex artery (LCX), which did not allow the regular retrograde approach to deliver a guide wire. At first, a guide wire ...

Advancements in both pharmacological and mechanical approaches have taken place to deal with thrombus-containing lesions in the coronary tree. We describe a case wherein a totally occluded large ectatic right coronary artery with a large thrombus burden was successfully revascularized by a combined pharmacological-mechanical approach, resulting in complete disappearance of ...

Treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms has traditionally been by means of open surgery, but in recent years endovascular approaches have emerged as a viable and perhaps superior alternative. Some confusion appears to exist in discussions in the literature regarding the exact definition of the various types of thoracoabdominal aneurysm depending ...

An adult male with nutcracker syndrome was treated successfully by placement of a self-expanding stent in the left renal vein via a right internal jugular vein approach with a provocative Valsalva maneuver. Previous case reports have described renal vein stenting for this condition via common femoral vein approach. However, this ...

Since we reported about a landmark technique to reopen an occluded subclavian artery, we have faced difficulty in using protection devices in the vertebral artery to protect against thromboembolism from the reversed steal phenomenon after angioplasty and stenting. Therefore, we are presenting an optimal solution in using a protection device ...

A 79-year-old female was admitted to the hospital complaining of frequent chest pain. She was diagnosed with a non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. A thallium scan, echocardiogram, and angiography showed a left anterior descending artery chronic total occlusion. Externalization of retrograde wire was performed and replaced with a rota-floppy wire. ...

The endoluminal femoropopliteal bypass is a minimally invasive treatment modality for occlusive superficial femoral artery disease. Technical failure of endovascular treatment of chronic total occlusions is often caused by the inability to re-enter the true lumen. Re-entry devices have a high technical success-rate, but increased procedural costs. We describe an ...

We report the case of a 75-year-old patient diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis and two-vessel coronary artery disease. Due to multiple comorbidities including chronic renal insufficiency, stroke and pulmonary hypertension (EuroSCORE: 34 %; STS mortality risk: 14.9 %), he was not a candidate for conventional aortic valve surgery. He underwent a novel ...

With the use of the superior transseptal approach during mitral valve surgery, good exposure of the mitral valve can be achieved with simple traction sutures, which minimize the risk of deformation of the mitral valve. For this reason, we routinely perform mitral valvoplasty using the superior transseptal approach; however, we, ...

Isolated persistent left superior caval vein is a rare anomaly of the systemic venous return. We describe an unsuccessful pacemaker implantation through the right subclavian vein, which later turned out to be due to a venous anomaly. This case and some other cases show that with the help of a ...