International Journal of Angiology : Official Publication of the International College of Angiology, Inc

Many components of required skills and competencies exist, and are felt to contribute to the successful completion of training for independent practice in the medical field as a physician. These requirements are documented and detailed in a temporal fashion during the training period and used for advancement during training as well as documentation of successful completion of that training. While clinical skill development that allows optimal care and treatment of patients is of utmost importance during this training, other components of the training are important and contribute to the ideal development of a well-rounded and credentialed physician...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

We aimed to examine the relationship of living arrangements (i.e., living alone or living with others) with background, clinical severity, preintervention culprit lesion plaque morphology, and clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Among 1,683 consecutive patients with ACS, we retrospectively compared patients living alone ( n  = 318) versus living with others ( n  = 1,362). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings, which are high-resolution intracoronary imaging devices, were analyzed in patients with preintervention OCT and compared between patients living alone ( n  = 174) versus those living with others ( n  = 665)...

In this case study, we describe a 25-year-old male who was admitted due to a severe traumatic brain injury, requiring invasive intracranial pressure monitoring. At 48 hours posttrauma, he developed intracranial hypertension refractory to medical treatment without tomographic changes in the brain. Subsequently, intra-abdominal hypertension and tomographic signs of abdominal surgical pathology were observed. An exploratory laparotomy was performed with an intraoperative diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia...

Plasma level of chemokine CXCL12 can predict adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease, but data on its relationship with severity of coronary stenosis in cases of severe myocardial infarction (MI) are scarce and conflicting. The objective of this study was to investigate link between plasma CXCL12 levels and different grades of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in statin-treated and -untreated patients with severe MI. A total of 198 consecutive patients with first-time severe MI (ST-elevated myocardial infarction [STEMI], n  = 121 and non-ST-elevated myocardial infarction [NSTEMI], n  = 77) were recruited from Coronary Care Unit, King Abdulaziz University Hospital...

Ventricular septal rupture (VSR) is rare but a lethal complication of acute myocardial infarction (MI). Definite treatment requires the surgical closure of the VSR and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, the optimal timing for surgery is still controversial, particularly during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic where medical procedures should be performed within the safest environment. Before surgery, a proper management in the intensive cardiovascular care unit is essential to maintain the stability of the hemodynamic profile related with VSR and determines the prognosis of the patient...

Hypoxia secondary to right to left interatrial shunting in the setting of normal right-sided filling pressure is an uncommon clinical presentation. We present a case of persistent hypoxia irrespective of body position in a patient with a wide separation between the septum primum and secundum, creating a tunnel channeling flow from the right to the left atrium. Hypoxia resolved instantly following closure of the defect with an Amplatzer occluder under intracardiac echocardiography guidance. Although platypnea-orthodeoxia leads to hypoxia in the setting of normal right-sided filling pressures, the finding of a coexisting wide gap between the septum primum and secundum is likely to have worsened the hypoxia making it severe irrespective of body position...

Chronic venous disease (CVD) associated with great saphenous vein (GSV) reflux has a higher prevalence of pain in the lower limbs. This study evaluates the impact of ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS) for GSV and symptom control, accessed by the visual analogue scale (VAS). Patients with CVD who underwent GSV-UGFS were included in this retrospective cohort (417 limbs). The pain was measured before and after the treatment. The scale alteration was assessed as a function of age, sex, Clinical Etiologic Anatomic Pathophysiologic (CEAP) classes, total of sclerotherapy sessions, GSV occlusion patterns, and ulcer healing...

Acute limb ischemia (ALI) is a predictor of high morbidity and mortality. Previous studies showed that ALI developed after cardiac surgery may increase mortality. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical course and identify risk factors contributing to mortality in patients with ALI after cardiovascular surgery. This is a single-center retrospective cohort study. We analyzed data from 52 patients with ALI after cardiovascular surgery between 2016 and 2020. We evaluated the risk factors for 1-year mortality using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis...

Since its first discovery in late 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a global burden associated with significant morbidity and mortality. COVID-19 has been correlated with the development of hypercoagulable state that predisposes the patients to a higher risk of thromboembolism. Current evidence suggests higher incidence of thrombosis, particularly venous thrombosis, among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, mostly with critical illness. On the other hand, there is currently no data regarding the incidence of vivid thrombosis in ambulatory patients with mild COVID-19 and the incidence of concomitant arterial and venous thrombosis in COVID-19 is extremely rare...

Organ transplantation can be associated with vascular torsions and angulations of both recipient and donor vessels. Such kinks and/or torsions of vessels can compromise the vascular integrity, obstruct inflow and/or outflow, and result in loss of the organ and/or body parts. On many occasions, mild angulations and torsions can be successfully addressed by repositioning the organ. In cases where the abnormal findings persist, maneuvers such as placing a fat pad to create a smoother curve, or even opening the peritoneum (in the case of kidney transplants) to allow for a better positioning of the organ, are associated with successful outcomes...

Common femoral artery (CFA) atherosclerotic lesions currently remain one of the last limitations for adoption of endovascular repair as the first-line treatment, easy surgical accessibility, and, last but not least, favorable long-term outcomes, still making CFA disease treatment part of the surgical domain. In the last 5 years, improvement of the endovascular equipment and technical skills of the operators have led to an increase in percutaneous CFA procedures. A single-center randomized prospective study of 36 symptomatic (Rutherford 2-4) CFA stenotic or occlusive lesions were included, and patients were randomized over two groups based on the management approach SUPERA versus hybrid technique...

We describe a case report of a 63-year-old man who presented with chronic left-hand weakness and the absence of a pulse in the left arm. Thoracoabdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed an extensive thoracic aortic mural thrombus. Initial anticoagulation therapy did not provide a positive result, so the patient was referred for surgery. Hybrid aortic arch surgery using the frozen elephant trunk technique was performed with excellent early outcomes. A CT performed in the early postoperative period showed that the thrombus was completely excluded from the aortic lumen by the hybrid graft...

The use of low-dose tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in Hispanic patients with submassive pulmonary embolism (PE) is understudied. The purpose of this study is to explore the use of low-dose tPA in Hispanic patients with submissive PE compared with counterparts that received heparin alone. We retrospectively analyzed a single-center registry of patients with acute PE between 2016 and 2022. Out of 72 patients admitted for acute PE and cor pulmonale, we identified six patients that were treated with conventional anticoagulation (heparin alone) and six patients who received low-dose tPA (and heparin afterward)...

Myocardial infarction (MI) is an eversion carotid endarterectomy (eCEA) complication, but most events are unknown, and true incidence and correlation remain controversial. Routine cardiac troponin measurement is a commonly used method for assessing early identification and treatment of MI and stratifying high-risk patients. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of troponin elevation levels following eCEA and to investigate a possible correlation between adverse cardiovascular events and the incidence of postoperative myocardial infarction following emergent vascular surgery...

Visceral artery pseudoaneurysms are potentially lethal lesions and tend to rupture in a high proportion of cases, thereby warranting an immediate and active intervention. We present our experience of splanchnic visceral artery pseudoaneurysms in a university hospital over a 5-year time interval with emphasis on etiology, clinical presentation, management (endovascular/surgical), and final outcome. This was a retrospective study in which we searched our image database for pseudoaneurysms of visceral arteries over a period of 5 years...

Anemia in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with a pro-coagulant state, contributing to the incidence of no-reflow phenomenon and increased mortality following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). However, clinical data remain contradictory. The objective of our study was to evaluate the association of admission hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and in-hospital mortality of STEMI patients' post-PPCI, as well as final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow...

The objective of this study was to explain step by step how to achieve a complete resection of an intravascular leiomyoma. A 48-year-old woman was referred to our institution with progressive dyspnea on exertion, lightheadedness, and previous history of total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for a uterine leiomyoma echocardiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging of the heart and abdomen/pelvis were performed and an intracaval mass with extension into the right heart and pulmonary artery was identified...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

In our study, we aimed to reveal the role of plasma atherogenicity index and mean platelet volume in predicting the risk of developing a 1-year major adverse cardiac event (MACE) in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). This study, which was planned from the retrospective cross-sectional study model, was performed with 100 patients diagnosed with NSTEMI and scheduled for coronary angiography. The laboratory values of the patients were evaluated, the atherogenicity index of plasma was calculated, and the 1-year MACE status was evaluated...