Nine hundred twelve patients received continuous epidural analgesia administered through an indwelling plastic catheter while undergoing vascular reconstruction of a lower extremity. During a portion of the operative event, the patients were totally, transiently anticoagulated with heparin. None of the patients had an untoward neurologic event that could be attributed to an epidural hematoma. Our results and those of others show that this form of regional analgesia is safe and far outweighs theoretic contraindications when anticoagulation with heparin is planned as a part of the operative event. In the patients with impaired pulmonary ventilation or a cardiac disorder, this method of analgesia offers many advantages over a general anesthetic, such as obviating aspiration pneumonitis and averting prolonged support in the recovery period after completion of the surgical procedure. The regional vasodilation ensuing from the epidural blockade is an additional advantage in patients undergoing vascular reconstruction for lower extremity ischemia.

Summary Background: Compression therapy (CT) is the stronghold of treatment of venous leg ulcers. We evaluated 5 modalities of CT in a prospective open pilot study using a unique trial design. Patients and methods: A group of experienced phlebologists assigned 31 consecutive patients with 35 venous ulcers (present for 2 to 24 months with no prior CT) to 5 different modalities of leg compression, 7 ulcers to each group. The challenge was to match the modality of CT with the features of the ulcer in order to achieve as many healings as possible. Wound care used standard techniques and specifically tailored foam pads to increase local pressure. CT modalities were either stockings Sigvaris® 15-20, 20-30, 30-40 mmHg, multi-layer bandages, or CircAid® bandaging. Compression was maintained day and night in all groups and changed at weekly visits. Study endpoints were time to healing and the clinical parameters predicting the outcome. Results: The cumulative healing rates were 71%, 77%, and 83% after 3, 6, and 9 months, respectively. Univariate analysis of variables associated with nonhealing were: previous surgery, presence of insufficient perforating and/or deep veins, older age, recurrence, amount of oedema, time of presence of CVI and the actual ulcer, and ulcer size (p <0.05-<0.001). The initial ulcer size was the best predictor of the healing-time (Pearson r=0.55, p=0.002). The modality of CT played an important role also, as 19 of 21 ulcers (90%) healed with stockings but only 8 of 14 with bandages (57%; p=0.021). Regression analysis allowed to calculate a model to predict the healing time. It compensated for the fact that patients treated with low or moderate compression stockings were at lower risk of non-healing. and revealed that healing with stockings was about twice as rapid as healing with bandages. Conclusion: Three fourths of venous ulcers can be brought to healing within 3 to 6 months. Healing time can be predicted using easy to assess clinical parameters. Irrespective of the initial presentation ulcer healing appeared more rapid with the application of stockings than with bandaging. These unexpected findings contradict current believes and require confirmation in randomised trials.

Vascular complications during orthopaedic surgery, although rare, do occur. Most vascular complications occur intraoperatively, immediately postoperatively or in the late postoperative period; they most commonly include lacerations, pseudoaneurysms, thrombosis, and arteriovenous fistulas. The operations most commonly associated with vascular injuries are knee arthroplasty, followed by hip arthroplasty, spinal surgery, and knee arthroscopy. Most commonly the popliteal artery is involved, followed by the tibial, superficial femoral, iliac, common and profunda femoral arteries. Color Doppler ultrasound is the initial imaging method used to evaluate a vascular injury. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance angiography are usually not applicable in joint replacement surgery because of the artifacts caused by the prostheses. When noninvasive imaging fails to reveal the injury, angiography is required. Traditional management of vascular surgical complications have included vascular surgical intervention. However, the availability of a vascular surgical team is required, and re-exploration of the operative site to treat acute ischemic complications of joint replacement may be difficult and may fail because the source of bleeding is not always apparent. In this setting, endovascular treatments such as balloon arterial thrombectomy, balloon angioplasty with and without stenting, and transcatheteral selective arterial embolization have been effective, successful, and safe interventional techniques in the acute or late postoperative period after elective orthopedic surgery. These techniques should be considered as the first option in the treatment of these lesions.

Penile blood pressure studies and pudendal artery angiograms indicate that vascular disease may be a frequent cause of erectile failure in men. Attempts to correct this form of impotence with revascularization of the corpus cavernosum have been satisfactory in a minority of patients.