The use of chimney grafts is feasible in the renal and superior mesenteric arteries, as well as in the supra-aortic branches, to facilitate stent-graft repair of thoracic or abdominal aortic lesions with inadequate fixation zones.

Background Among asymptomatic patients with severe carotid artery stenosis but no recent stroke or transient cerebral ischaemia, either carotid artery stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) can restore patency and reduce long-term stroke risks. However, from recent national registry data, each option causes about 1% procedural risk of disabling stroke or death. Comparison of their long-term protective effects requires large-scale randomised evidence.Methods ACST-2 is an international multicentre randomised trial of CAS versus CEA among asymptomatic patients with severe stenosis thought to require intervention, interpreted with all other relevant trials. Patients were eligible if they had severe unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis and both doctor and patient agreed that a carotid procedure should be undertaken, but they were substantially uncertain which one to choose. Patients were randomly allocated to CAS or CEA and followed up at 1 month and then annually, for a mean 5 years. Procedural events were those within 30 days of the intervention. Intention-to-treat analyses are provided. Analyses including procedural hazards use tabular methods. Analyses and meta-analyses of non-procedural strokes use Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN21144362.

The aim of this study was to assess cardiovascular predictors for all-cause long-term mortality in patients undergoing standard endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Consecutive patients treated with EVAR (Zenith(®) stent grafts; Cook) between May 1998 and February 2006 were prospectively enrolled in a computerized database, together with retrospectively collected data on medication, and electrocardiographic and echocardiographic variables. Mortality was assessed on 1 December 2010. The median follow-up time was 68 months and the median age was 74 years (range 53-89) for the 304 patients. Mortality at the end of follow-up was 54.3% (165/304). The proportion of deaths caused by vascular diseases was 61% (101/165). In the univariate analysis, low preoperative ejection fraction (EF) (p = 0.004), absence of statin medication (p = 0.007), and medication with diuretics (p = 0.028) or digitalis (p = 0.016) were associated with an increased long-term mortality rate. Myocardial ischemia on electrocardiogram (ECG) (hazard ratio (HR) 1.6 [95% CI 1.1-2.4]) and anemia (HR 1.5 [95% CI 1.0-2.1]) were found to be independent predictors for long-term mortality after Cox regression analysis. There was a trend that chronic kidney disease, stage ≥ 3 (HR 1.5 [95% CI 1.0-2.2]), and age 80 years and above (HR 1.5 [95% CI 1.0-2.4]) were independently associated with long-term mortality. In conclusion, ischemia on ECG and anemia were independently related to an increased long-term mortality rate after EVAR, and these predictive factors seem to be most important for critical assessment in the preoperative medical work-up.

Endovascular stent-graft treatment is effective therapy for chronic type B dissection patients with false lumen aneurysms. Erosion of the dissection membrane, causing proximal or distal endoleak, is the most common reason for re-intervention during midterm follow-up.

Despite similar morbidity and perioperative mortality rates, outcomes following endovascular treatment of acute complicated type B dissection varied with the extent of the dissection. Persistent FL perfusion below the stent-graft, associated with aneurysm expansion and the need for re-intervention, was seen most often in type IIIb dissection. Patients with the more limited type IIIa dissection or IMH were likely to be cured by endovascular therapy.