Browsing by Author "Radak, Djordje (7004442548)"

Background To date, all published studies analyzing simultaneous treatment of carotid and proximal atherosclerotic lesions are describing retrograde approach and several technical variations. In the presented study, for the first time, antegrade approach is described for simultaneous carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and associated brachiocephalic trunk (BCT) or common carotid artery (CCA) angioplasty in the hybrid operating room. Methods From January 2012 till January 2016, antegrade hybrid procedures were performed in 18 patients. All patients were admitted to our institute for elective supraaortic arch multidetector computed tomography angiography when significant simultaneous proximal and distal supraaortic arch lesions were revealed. After surgical exposure of carotid arteries, proximal lesions were crossed by antegrade approach. Prior to stent placement, internal carotid artery (ICA) is clamped at its origin with the guidewire placed in the external carotid artery (ECA). After primary stenting and control arteriography, CCA and ECA are clamped and the ICA clamp moved more distally. An arteriotomy is performed in the CCA, with flushing of possible debris and thrombus before performance of the eversion CEA, once again flushing before completion of the anastomosis. Follow-up ranged from 6 to 36 months with average follow-up of 22.15 ± 11.31 months. Results All procedures went uneventfully. Out of 18 patients, 11 were males and 7 females, mean age 66.6 ± 3.82 years. In 10 patients (55.5%), simultaneous CEA and CCA angioplasty was performed, in 7 patients (38.9%) CEA and BCT angioplasty, and in 1 patient (5.5%) tubular graft interposition between the CCA and the ICA and CCA angioplasty. In 6 patients (33.3%), CCA/BCT balloon angioplasty alone was performed simultaneously with CEA. None of the patient had postoperative transient ischemic attack, stroke, hematoma, dissection, myocardial infarction, or ischemia in the early postoperative period and during the follow-up. There were no lethal outcomes, neither in the early postoperative course nor during the follow-up. Conclusions Antegrade approach for simultaneous treatment of proximal CCA/BCT and distal carotid lesions with temporary ICA clamping is safe and feasible procedure that should be thought of in the future in addition to already described retrograde approach. © 2017 Elsevier Inc.

Background To present outcomes following an operative approach of extracranial carotid artery aneurysm (ECAAs) based on anatomic types and associated kinks. Methods This study represents retrospective analysis of anatomic type based approach to operative repair of 84 patients with ECAA from 1994 to 2011, 28 (33.3%) with associated kinking. Patients were followed for neurological ischemic events, hematoma, cranial nerve injury, myocardial infarction, neurological, and overall mortality. The results are presented as early, within 30 days after the surgery, and long term during the follow-up. Results In the early postoperative period, there were no strokes or mortalities, cranial nerve injury rate was 2.4% while 1 patient had myocardial infarction (1.2%). During the follow-up, 4 patients (4.8%) had stroke, out of which 2 patients died (2.3%), while overall mortality was 4.6%. The average 5-year survival rate was 96 ± 3%. Conclusion Excellent outcomes can be obtained with surgical repair of ECAA, which should be tailored to the anatomic types and presence of kinks. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a surgical procedure performed to reduce the incidence of embolic and thrombotic stroke. Although only a preventive procedure, CEA carries the risk of perioperative complications. There is constant searching for an optimal anesthetic technique. There are pros and cons for both anesthetic techniques used: regional (RA) and general anesthesia (GA). A large number of studies have compared RA and GA techniques in CEA surgery patients. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with stroke, myocardial infarction, or death. However, neither the GALA trial nor the pooled analysis was adequately powered to reliably detect an effect of type of anesthesia on mortality. It may therefore be appropriate to consider other additional parameters (stress response, incidence of postoperative delirium and cognitive impairment, functional recovery, total surgery time, intensive care unit requirement, hospital stay, hospital costs and patients satisfaction) when comparing the outcomes of the two techniques. Although, the debate continues as to whether regional anesthesia or general anesthesia is safer, the choice of anesthetic technique is a complex decision and surgical teams should be able to offer both RA and GA. The individual approach is the ideal choice and should be determined at the discretion of the surgeon, anesthetist and patient depending on the clinical situation and own preferences. © 2015 Signa Vitae. All rights reserved.

[No abstract available]

Background: Angiofollicular lymphoid hyperplasia (Castleman's disease) is a rare inflammatory condition. Its cause is unknown and it can be both localized and general. Eighty-six percent of lesions are found in the mediastinum or hilum, and 91% are of the hyaline vascular type. Although Castleman's disease is primarily involving the chest and retroperitoneum, it may also involve neck and axilla in 2-4% of cases. In this article, we present a very rare case of Castleman's disease causing axillary artery pseudoaneurysm. Methods and Results: A 30-year-old woman patient presented with pulsating tumefaction of the left arm which was 3.5 × 10 cm in size, and became evident 15 days before admission. History revealed that she suffered trauma of the left upper arm in childhood; therefore, it was suspected that tumefaction may be due to a post-traumatic aneurysm. Duplex scan and multislice computed tomography examinations were performed and an axillary artery pseudoaneurysm was diagnosed. Since intraoperatively the tumefaction resembled the tumorous formation but not the aneurysmal wall, specimens were sent for pathohistological analysis. Arterial reconstruction was performed using autologous vein graft. Pathohistological findings showed vascular type of angiofollicular lymphoid hyperplasia. Conclusion: Although angiofollicular lymphoid hyperplasia is rarely localized in the axillary area, this disease should also be considered when axillary artery pseudoaneurysm is diagnosed. © 2010 Annals of Vascular Surgery Inc.

Apoptosis may contribute to a significant proportion of neuron death following acute brain ischemia (ABI), but the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. Brain ischemia may lead to stroke, which is one of the main causes of long-term morbidity and mortality in both developed and developing countries. Therefore, stroke prevention and treatment is clinically important. There are two important separate areas of the brain during ABI: the ischemic core and the ischemic penumbra. The ischemic core of the brain experiences a sudden reduction of blood flow, just minutes after ischemic attack with irreversible injury and subsequent cell death. On the other hand, apoptosis within the ischemic penumbra may occur after several hours or days, while necrosis starts in the first hours after the onset of ABI in the ischemic core. ABI is characterized by key molecular events that initiate apoptosis in many cells, such as overproduction of free radicals, Ca2+ overload and excitotoxicity. These changes in cellular homeostasis may trigger either necrosis or apoptosis, which often depends on cell type, cell age, and location in the brain. Apoptosis results in DNA fragmentation, degradation of cytoskeletal and nuclear proteins, cross-linking of proteins, formation of apoptotic bodies, expression of ligands for phagocytic cell receptors and finally uptake by phagocytic cells. This review focuses on recent findings based on animal and human studies regarding the apoptotic mechanisms of neuronal death following ABI and the development of potential neuroprotective agents that reduce morbidity. The effects of statins on stroke prevention and treatment as well as on apoptotic mediators are also considered. © 2017 Bentham Science Publishers.

[No abstract available]

Objective: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix in the arterial wall. Collagen I is associated with vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration and monocyte differentiation. MMP-8 is expressed in atherosclerotic plaque and preferentially cleaves collagen type I. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of two MMP-8 promoter polymorphisms, rs11225395 (-799. C/T) and rs1320632 (-381 A/G), with carotid plaque occurrence, and the influence of these polymorphisms on MMP-8 mRNA expression in plaque tissue. Methods: The study included a total of 766 participants: 277 controls and 489 patients with carotid atherosclerosis undergoing endarterectomy. The two investigated polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-RFLP. The gene expression analysis was performed by real-time PCR. Results: In females only, a significantly higher frequency of the -381G allele was found in patients with carotid atherosclerosis compared to controls (OR, 1.7; 95% CI 1.1-2.9; p=0.001). Significant up-regulation of MMP-8 gene expression was observed in patients carrying the -381G allele compared to those with the AA genotype (mean factor, 3.54; S.E. range, 0.643-19.551; p=0.007). Carotid plaque tissue of the haplotype G -381T -799 showed a significantly higher mRNA level compared with the reference A -381C -799 haplotype (p=0.003). Conclusion: Our preliminary results indicate that MMP-8-381A/G and -799. C/T gene polymorphisms could be risk factors for carotid atherosclerosis. Further validation and functional studies are needed to establish the potential regulatory role of these polymorphisms and their impact on susceptibility to carotid atherosclerosis. © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

The aim of this study was to compare demographic, clinical and biochemical characteristics, including inflammatory markers, according to the nutritional status of patients with verified atherosclerotic disease. This cross-sectional study involved 1045 consecutive patients with verified carotid disease or peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Anthropometric parameters and data on cardiovascular risk factors and therapy for hypertension and hyperlipidemia were collected for all participants. Carotid disease was positively and PAD was negatively associated with body mass index (BMI). Negative association between obesity and PAD was significant only in former smokers, not in current smokers or in patients who never smoked. Overweight and general obesity were significantly related to metabolic syndrome (p < 0.001), lower values of high - density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.001), increased triglycerides (p < 0.001), hyperglycemia (p < 0.001), self-reported diabetes (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), high serum uric acid (p < 0.001), increased high sensitivity C-reactive protein (p = 0.020) and former smoking (p = 0.005) after adjustment for age, gender and type of disease. Antihypertensive therapy seems to be less effective in patients who are overweight and obese. In conclusion, overweight and general obesity were significantly related to several cardiovascular risk factors. © 2019 Society of Medical Biochemists of Serbia and Montenegro.

The aim of this study was to compare demographic, clinical and biochemical characteristics, including inflammatory markers, according to the nutritional status of patients with verified atherosclerotic disease. This cross-sectional study involved 1045 consecutive patients with verified carotid disease or peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Anthropometric parameters and data on cardiovascular risk factors and therapy for hypertension and hyperlipidemia were collected for all participants. Carotid disease was positively and PAD was negatively associated with body mass index (BMI). Negative association between obesity and PAD was significant only in former smokers, not in current smokers or in patients who never smoked. Overweight and general obesity were significantly related to metabolic syndrome (p < 0.001), lower values of high - density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.001), increased triglycerides (p < 0.001), hyperglycemia (p < 0.001), self-reported diabetes (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), high serum uric acid (p < 0.001), increased high sensitivity C-reactive protein (p = 0.020) and former smoking (p = 0.005) after adjustment for age, gender and type of disease. Antihypertensive therapy seems to be less effective in patients who are overweight and obese. In conclusion, overweight and general obesity were significantly related to several cardiovascular risk factors. © 2019 Society of Medical Biochemists of Serbia and Montenegro.

Background Eagle syndrome represents elongated styloid process characterized by calcification and ossification of the stylohyoid ligament rarely associated with the pathology of carotid arteries. We are presenting a very rare case of bilateral Eagle syndrome with associated internal carotid artery (ICA) kinking on the right side and significant ICA stenosis on the left side. Case Report A 62-year-old female patient was admitted to our Institution for multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography. Two years ago, she experienced stroke with right-sided weakness, color Doppler scan of carotid arteries described left ICA stenosis of 75% and right ICA stenosis of 50%. MDCT arteriography revealed bilateral Eagle syndrome associated with significant left ICA stenosis of >90% and right ICA kinking. Left carotid endarterectomy was performed followed by elongated styloid process resection that was in close relationship to ICA. Even more significant relationship was seen on the right side involving right ICA kinking and elongated styloid process that was treated conservatively. Postoperative course was uneventful; after 6 months, the patient was doing well. Conclusions This is the first case that describes bilateral Eagle syndrome associated with ICA kinking on one side and significant stenosis on the other. Although rare, this syndrome should be thought of in symptomatic patients with carotid pathologies in which case computed tomography angiography is of crucial importance. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vascular graft infection is a serious complication associated with high morbidity and mortality. Because of this, various graft preservation techniques have been increasingly utilized in an attempt to improve outcomes. When this devastating complication occurs several possibilities for treatment are available. The traditional treatment consists of graft excision and extra-anatomic reconstruction. Reconstruction can also be done in situ using homografts or autologous grafts, as well as new synthetic prostheses with antimicrobial properties. A more conservative approach and graft preservation may be indicated in some cases. This paper presents a case of successful graft preservation using a vacuum-assisted closure system.

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the efficiency and long-term durability of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and carotid artery stenting in carotid restenosis (CR) treatment after eversion endarterectomy, with emphasis on variables that could influence the outcome. Methods: We analyzed 319 patients (220 asymptomatic and 99 symptomatic) who underwent carotid angioplasty from 2002 until 2012 for CR that occurred after eversion endarterectomy. During this period, 7993 eversion endarterectomies were done for significant carotid artery stenosis. Significant CR was detected by ultrasound examination and confirmed by digital subtraction angiography or multidetector computed tomography angiography. After angioplasty (with or without stenting), color duplex ultrasound imaging was done after 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and annually thereafter. End points encompassed myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death (fatal myocardial infarction, fatal cardiac failure, fatal stroke), and also puncture site hematoma and recurrent restenosis. Primary end points were analyzed as early results (≤30 days after the procedure), and secondary end points were long-term results (>30 days). Variables and risk factors influencing the early-term and long-term results were also analyzed. Median follow-up was 49.8 ± 22.8 months (range, 17-121 months). Results: All but one procedure ended with a technical success (99.7%). In the early postoperative period, transient ischemic attack occurred in 2.8% of the patients and stroke in 1.6%, followed by one lethal outcome (0.3%). Stent thrombosis occurred in one patient (0.3%) several hours after the angioplasty, followed by urgent surgery and graft interposition. In the long-term follow-up, there were no transient ischemic attacks or strokes, non-neurologic mortality was 3.13%, and the recurrent restenosis rate was 4.4%. The rate of non-neurologic outcomes during the follow-up was significantly higher in asymptomatic patients than in symptomatic patients (4.54% vs 0%; P =.034). The statically highest rate of transient ischemic attack was verified in patients in whom Precise (Cordis Corporation, New Brunswick, NJ) stents was used (12.2%) and a Spider Fx (Covidien, Dublin, Ireland) cerebral protection device (12.5%) was used. Female gender, coronary artery disease, plaque calcifications, and smoking history were associated with an adverse outcome after angioplasty. Conclusions: Carotid artery stenting is safe and reliable procedure for CR after eversion endarterectomy treatment, with low rate of postprocedural complications. Type of stent and cerebral embolic protection device may influence the rate of postprocedural neurologic ischemic events. Copyright © 2014 by the Society for Vascular Surgery.

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) carries a signifcant risk of procedural stroke and death Guidelines recommend keeping this risk below 6% and below 3% for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients respectively. After analyzing our Institute's CEA results during the past 25 years, we found the rate of postoperative complications was now well below guideline thresholds. accordingly, we studied temporal changes in procedural risks in randomized controlled trials (rCTs) and in large observational studies in order to compare these against guidelines. We found a clear temporal trend towards improving procedural outcomes, which can be explained by improvements in medical therapy, more appropriate timing of Cea, the use of local anesthesia and the use of peroperative cerebral monitoring as well as improving surgical techniques. an update of current guidelines should now be undertaken, since our fndings are not unique and are supported by other studies in this review. © 2018 Edizioni Minerva Medica.

Purpose: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is an option for carotid restenosis (CR) treatment with favorable outcomes. However, CAS has also emerged as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for the management of patients with primary carotid stenosis. This study aimed to report CR rates after CAS was performed in patients with primary lesions versus restenosis after CEA, to identify predictors of CR, and to report both neurological and overall outcomes. Materials and methods: From January 2000 to September 2018, a total of 782 patients were divided into 2 groups: The CAS (prim) group consisted of 440 patients in whom CAS was performed for primary lesions, and the CAS (res) group consisted of 342 patients with CAS due to restenosis after CEA. Indications for CAS were symptomatic stenosis/restenosis >70% and asymptomatic stenosis/restenosis >85%. A color duplex scan (CDS) of carotid arteries was performed 6 months after CAS, after 1 year, and annually afterward. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 88 months, with a mean follow-up of 34.6±18.0 months. Results: There were no differences in terms of CR rate between the patients in the CAS (prim) and CAS (res) groups (8.7% vs 7.2%, χ2=0.691, p=0.406). The overall CR rate was 7.9%, whereas significant CR (>70%) rate needing re-intervention was 5.6%, but there was no difference between patients in the CAS (prim) and CAS (res) groups (6.4% vs 4.7%, p=0.351). Six independent predictors for CR were smoking, associated previous myocardial infarction and angina pectoris, plaque morphology, spasm after CAS, the use of FilterWire or Spider Fx cerebral protection devices, and time after stenting. A carotid restenosis risk index (CRRI) was created based on these predictors and ranged from –7 (minimal risk) to +10 (maximum risk); patients with a score >–4 were at increased risk for CR. There were no differences in terms of neurological and overall morbidity and mortality between the 2 groups. Conclusions: There was no difference in CR rate after CAS between the patients with primary stenosis and restenosis after CEA. A CRRI score >–4 is a criterion for identifying high-risk patients for post-CAS CR that should be tested in future randomized trials. © The Author(s) 2022.

[No abstract available]

[No abstract available]

Carotid atherosclerosis may be associated with neurosymptoms including cerebral infarction. IL-10 exerts atheroprotective effects, but its role in carotid disease is not fully defined. We aimed to investigate serum IL-10 levels in patients undergoing endarterectomy and their relation to the degree of carotid stenosis, plaque types and neurosymptoms. Two hundred consecutive patients with atherosclerotic carotid stenosis and 29 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Plaque types were classified according to AHA criteria. Serum IL-10 levels were determined by ELISA. Patients undergoing endarterectomy had significantly higher circulating IL-10 levels (18.7 ± 3.2 pg/ml) in comparison with healthy controls (7.2 ± 1.8pg/ml; P =0.0001) and IL- 10 has good discriminatory efficacy between these two groups (ROC curve, AUC = 0.723, P=0.0001). Patients with < 70% and those with > 70% of carotid stenosis did not differ in terms of age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors except hypertension, neurosymptoms and AHA plaque types. Circulating IL-10 levels differed significantly among patients with different carotid plaque types (P = 0.002). Patients with uncomplicated plaques had significantly higher serum levels of IL-10 (23.0 ± 6.1 pg/ml) compared to those with complicated plaques (13.0 ±1.4 pg/ml, P=0.035) and IL-10 can differentiate patients between these two groups (ROC curve, AUC = 0.413, P= 0.035). Our findings reveal an important role for IL-10 in carotid atherosclerosis. IL-10 might be a potential biomarker in discriminating patients with carotid disease from healthy controls. Decreased serum levels of IL-10 are related to complicated carotid plaques. © 2019, University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Science. All rights reserved.

Objectives: A considerable number of patients do not achieve an adequate response to clopidogrel. Our study aimed to evaluate genetic and non-genetic factors as possible risks for clopidogrel high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) in patients (n=112) with carotid artery stenosis undergoing endarterectomy (CEA). Methods: Using multiple-electrode impedance aggregometry (MEA) the antiplatelet effectiveness of clopidogrel was measured after 24 h, 7 and 30 days of clopidogrel treatment, which was introduced after elective CEA at a dose of 75 mg daily, for at least 30 days. Results: HTPR was observed among 25% patients after clopidogrel therapy for 30 days. Further analysis showed that 53.3% of patients carrying the CYP2C19*2 gene variant had clopidogrel-HTPR, while in the wild type group there were 14.6% (p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the CYP2C19*2 variant allele (OR 4.384; 95% CI 1.296-14.833, p=0.017) and high total cholesterol level (OR 2.090; 95% CI 1.263-3.459, p=0.004) as the only independent risk factors for clopidogrel-HTPR. Conclusion: The CYP2C19*2 gene variant and high total cholesterol level were major factors for clopidogrel-HTPR in patients with carotid artery stenosis undergoing CEA. © 2016 Bentham Science Publishers.

Objectives: A considerable number of patients do not achieve an adequate response to clopidogrel. Our study aimed to evaluate genetic and non-genetic factors as possible risks for clopidogrel high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) in patients (n=112) with carotid artery stenosis undergoing endarterectomy (CEA). Methods: Using multiple-electrode impedance aggregometry (MEA) the antiplatelet effectiveness of clopidogrel was measured after 24 h, 7 and 30 days of clopidogrel treatment, which was introduced after elective CEA at a dose of 75 mg daily, for at least 30 days. Results: HTPR was observed among 25% patients after clopidogrel therapy for 30 days. Further analysis showed that 53.3% of patients carrying the CYP2C19*2 gene variant had clopidogrel-HTPR, while in the wild type group there were 14.6% (p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the CYP2C19*2 variant allele (OR 4.384; 95% CI 1.296-14.833, p=0.017) and high total cholesterol level (OR 2.090; 95% CI 1.263-3.459, p=0.004) as the only independent risk factors for clopidogrel-HTPR. Conclusion: The CYP2C19*2 gene variant and high total cholesterol level were major factors for clopidogrel-HTPR in patients with carotid artery stenosis undergoing CEA. © 2016 Bentham Science Publishers.