Summary: Background: To evaluate trends in frequency, mortality and treatment for non-traumatic vascular emergencies (VE) in the US. Methods: VE in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2005–2014) were identified. ICD-9 CM diagnosis and procedures codes captured six common VE. Results: 228,210,504 emergency admissions with 317,396 procedures for VE were estimated. Mean age was 67.8 years and were primarily men (56.1 %; p < 0.0001). The commonest VE was Acute Limb Ischemia (ALI) (82.4 %) followed by ruptured AAA (10.8 %) and Acute Mesenteric Ischemia (4.71 %). VE increased from 132.8 per 100,000 admissions in 2005 to 153.6 in 2014 (p < 0.001), with mortality decrease for all VE (13.8 % vs. 9.1 %; p < 0.0001). Length of stay decreased (median 8 vs. 7 days; p < 0.0001) but cost of care increased (median $ 25,443 vs. $ 29,353; p < 0.0001). Endovascular treatment increased overall for VE from 23.7 % in 2005 to 37.2 % in 2014 (p < 0.0001). Hospital mortality for VE decreased overall, except ruptured thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm with mortality decrease with endovascular treatment (34.3 vs. 11.1; p = 0.04) and mortality increase with open treatment (44.7 vs. 47.6; p = 0.06). ALI overall mortality decreased from 8.1 % to 5.7 % (p < 0.0001) due to reduced open surgical mortality from 9.6 % to 7.4 % (p < 0.0001); endovascular mortality did not improve over time (4.0 % vs. 3.4 %; p = 0.45). Hospital mortality also increased for endovascular treatment of ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm (rTAA) from 14.9 % to 27.4 % (p = 0.0003) during this period. Conclusions: VE frequency increased with a decrease in overall mortality over time. Overall hospital stay has decreased but with an increase in the cost of care. Open surgical mortality for VE has also decreased overall, suggesting perioperative care improvements, with the exception of ruptured thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. Endovascular utilization for VE has significantly increased; associated with lower mortality for most VE, although an increase in hospital mortality after endovascular repair of rTAA was seen. This may be due to an increased implementation of endovascular repair for patients not previously eligible for surgery due to high risk. We recommend careful selection of patients for rTAA treatment as mortality has increased despite endovascular therapy and at an increased cost of care.

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Background: The optical coherence tomography (OCT) catheter, Ocelot (Avinger Inc., Redwood City, CA), has been utilized to cross Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus Document (TASC) D lesions. Studies have assessed the characteristics of high-risk plaques in the carotid artery, but few, if any data exist evaluating OCT and plaque morphology in the superficial femoral artery (SFA). This study assessed SFA plaque morphology using OCT and lesion crossing success in chronic total occlusions (CTOs).Methods: We reviewed patients who underwent attempted infrainguinal revascularization with TASC D CTOs using the Ocelot catheter between June 2014 and June 2018, and recorded demographic information, smoking status, and medical comorbidities. A matched cohort of 44 successfully crossed lesions was compared to 44 that failed; images insufficient for analysis were excluded. The morphology of the plaque was studied using OCT at the proximal cap, midpoint of the lesion, and the distal cap. Morphologic data studied included the intima-media thickness ratio, cross-sectional area of the plaque, and gray-scale median of the plaque.Results: A total of 140 patients who underwent lower extremity procedures for TASC D lesions of the SFA with OCT imaging were reviewed with a crossing rate of 69.0%. No significant differences were found between crossed and uncrossed lesions for intima-media thickness or cross-sectional area at the proximal cap, the midpoint, or the distal cap. A lower gray-scale median at the proximal cap was associated with the ability to cross the chronic SFA occlusion (P=0.05). Subgroup analysis stratified by smoking and calcium content also demonstrated that a lower gray-scale median at the proximal cap was associated with the ability to cross the chronic SFA occlusion (P=0.01 and P=0.04, respectively).Conclusions: Lower gray-scale median at the proximal cap of a chronic SFA occlusion calculated using OCT images was associated with the ability to successfully cross the lesion. Higher plaque gray-scale median is correlated with increased calcium, greater fibrous tissue, and signal-rich plaques. Gray-scale median in the proximal cap is useful marker to determine plaque composition and subsequent technical success for crossing chronic SFA occlusions. Further studies are needed to fully determine the utility of OCT images to predict successful endovascular revascularization of chronic SFA occlusions.

Conclusions: This is the first vascular surgery training program in the Sub-Saharan region whereby vascular surgery care has been successfully introduced with acceptable outcome. Systems improvement for timely interventions and a strategy to reduce infections are the next priorities for the partnership.