[en] Surgical repair and endovascular stent-graft placement are both therapies for thoracic aortic dissection. A combination of these two approaches may be effective in patients with type A dissection. In this study, we evaluated the prognosis of this combined technique. From December 2003 to December 2006, 15 patients with type A dissection were admitted to our institute; clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. Follow-up was performed at discharge and approximately 12 months after operation. Endovascular stent-graft placement by interventional radiology and surgical repair for reconstruction of aortic arch was performed in all patients. Total arch replacement for distal arch aneurysm was carried out under deep hypothermia with circulatory arrest; antegrade-selected cerebral perfusion was used for brain protection. Four patients concomitantly received a coronary artery bypass graft. Hospital mortality rate was 6.7%; the patient died of cerebral infarction. Neurological complications developed in two patients. Multi-detector-row computed tomography scans performed before discharge revealed complete thrombosis of the false lumen in six patients and partial thrombosis in eight patients. At the follow-up examination, complete thrombosis was found in another three patients, aortic rupture, endoleaks, or migration of the stent-graft was not observed and injuries of peripheral organs or anastomotic endoleaks did not occur. For patients with aortic type A dissection, combining intervention and surgical procedures is feasible, and complete or at least partial thrombosis of the false lumen in the descending aorta can be achieved. This combined approach simplified the surgical procedures and shortened the circulatory arrest time, minimizing the necessity for further aortic operation.

No abstract available

No abstract available

[en] We encountered a case of gastric varix without a gastrorenal shunt that drained through the left pericardiacophrenic vein, which entered the left brachiocephalic vein. For this case we successfully performed balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration, in which sclerotic agents were infused via the left pericardiacophrenic vein approached from the left subclavian vein.

[en] Coronary artery perforation remains one of the most fearsome complications during cardiac catheterization procedures. Although emergent bypass surgery is the preferred treatment for cases with uncontrollable perforation, endovascular vessel sealing and arrest of bleeding with a combination of balloons, covered stents, or embolic materials have also been proposed. The authors describe a case of emergent lifesaving microcoil embolization of the distal right coronary artery in a patient with uncontrollable grade III guidewire perforation resulting in cardiac tamponade. The relevant literature is reviewed and the merits and limitations of the endovascular approach are highlighted.

[en] From being a mere (though important) diagnostic tool, radiology has evolved to become an integral part of therapy in portal hypertension today. Various procedures are currently available, the choice depending on the etiology and location of disease, the pathoanatomy, and the symptomatology. The main aim of any procedure is to reduce the portal pressure by either direct or indirect methods. This can be achieved with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), recanalization of the hepatic vein outflow, recanalization of the portal vein and its tributaries, recanalization of dysfunctional portosystemic shunts, partial splenic embolization, and embolization of arterioportal shunts. When any of these procedures cannot be performed due to anatomical or physiological reasons, the symptoms can often be controlled effectively with embolization of varices or balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration of varices (BRTO). This article briefly describes the procedures, their results, and their current status in the treatment of portal hypertension

[en] Though polycystic liver disease (PCLD) has historically been considered a contraindication to TIPS, we present a case where technically successful shunt creation was achieved without the need for modification of the standard TIPS procedure, as was required in a previous report.

[en] Stomal varices can occur in patients with stoma in the presence of portal hypertension. Suture ligation, sclerotherapy, angiographic embolization, stoma revision, beta blockade, portosystemic shunt, and liver transplantation have been described as therapeutic options for bleeding stomal varices. We report the case of a 21-year-old patient with primary sclerosing cholangitis and colectomy with ileostomy for ulcerative colitis, where stomal variceal bleeding was successfully treated by direct percutaneous embolization. We consider percutaneous embolization to be an effective way of treating acute stomal bleeding in decompensated patients while awaiting decisions regarding shunt procedures or liver transplantation.

[en] We report the case of a 27-year-old male who presented with acute mesocaval shunt thrombosis, which was successfully managed by mechanical thrombolysis. Shunt thrombosis was suspected when the patient showed clinical signs and symptoms of obstructive jaundice in the immediate postoperative period. Doppler sonography showed absence of flow across the shunt, suggestive of thrombosis, which was mechanically thrombolyzed by a percutaneous approach. The portocaval pressure gradient noted at the end of procedure was <5 mm Hg. The shunt remained patent at the end of 3 months' follow-up.

[en] Pseudoaneurysm of ascending aorta is an infrequent but well-recognized and potentially fatal complication after cardiac surgeries. The complication can develop early, delayed or late, and the presentation is also varied. We are presenting here two cases of pseudoaneurysm of ascending aorta following cardiac surgery that were successfully managed by the transcatheter method. The first one occurred following coronary artery bypass surgery and the second one occurred following double-valve replacement surgery. The aortic openings of these aneurysms were occluded with 12 mm and 10 mm atrial septal occluders, respectively, with a good outcome. An immediate postprocedure angiogram showed no residual flow into the sac. Six months of follow-up of both cases also showed excellent results