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E J Harris

Publications and source records attributed to E J Harris.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Phlegmasia complicating prophylactic percutaneous inferior vena caval interruption: a word of caution.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of thrombotic complications in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) who were treated with percutaneous inferior vena caval interruption in place of anticoagulation. METHODS: A retrospective review of all percutaneously placed inferior vena cava filters for 1 year, August 1993 through July 1994, was performed. RESULTS: Thirty-three percutaneous inferior vena cava filters were placed in 32 patients. The underlying disease was pulmonary embolism in 15 (47%) and DVT in 17 (53%) patients. Of patients with pulmonary embolism, 11 had a documented DVT, and four were not evaluated for DVT. There were 14 men and 18 women, with a mean age of 63.5 years (range 24 to 93 years). Indications for vena caval interruption were recurrent pulmonary embolism with therapeutic anticoagulation (n = 2 [6%]), prophylactic insertion with documented pulmonary embolism and therapeutic anticoagulation (n = 8 [25%]), documented pulmonary embolism and absolute contraindication to anticoagulation (n = 5 [16%]), documented DVT and absolute contraindication to anticoagulation (n = 2 [6%]), prophylactic insertion with documented DVT and therapeutic anticoagulation (n = 5 [16%]), and documented DVT with relative contraindication to anticoagulation (n = 10 [31%]). Of the 32 patients with inferior vena cava filters, 17 were not given anticoagulants (7 absolute contraindications, 10 relative contraindications), and 15 were given anticoagulants. Insertion of a percutaneous inferior vena cava filter in patients who were not given anticoagulants was followed by the development of phlegmasia cerulea dolens in four patients (24%), which was bilateral in two patients; one patient eventually died. No patients treated with inferior vena cava filter and anticoagulation had development of phlegmasia. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous inferior vena caval interruption effectively prevents pulmonary embolism in patients with DVT but does not impact the underlying thrombotic process and in fact may contribute to progressive thrombosis in patients who are not given anticoagulants. Anticoagulation with intravenous heparin in safe and effective therapy for DVT in most patients. We believe that percutaneous insertion of vena cava filters should not replace anticoagulation in routine proximal DVT, and those patients who require an inferior vena cava filter for failure of anticoagulation should continue to receive heparin to treat the primary thrombotic process. We caution that relative contraindications to anticoagulation should be carefully scrutinized before recommending vena cava interruption as a primary therapy for DVT.

Acute Disease↗

Outcome of infrainguinal arterial reconstruction in women.

PURPOSE: The outcome of leg bypass in women is unknown. To date, most series of lower extremity bypass have included few women, and the results in women compared with those in men have not been reported. The experience with infrainguinal arterial reconstruction in women treated at the Oregon Health Sciences University has been greater than previously reported. We have reviewed our recent experience with lower extremity bypass to determine whether results in women differ significantly from those in men. METHODS: In the past 11 years we have performed 823 infrainguinal arterial reconstructions for lower extremity ischemia in 585 patients, of which 357 procedures were performed in women and 466 procedures were performed in men. The mean ages were 65 years for men and 68 years for women. Diabetes was present in 59% of the men and 48% of the women. Among men, 84% had a history of tobacco use compared with 66% of the women. Bypasses in men were performed for limb salvage in 73%, claudication in 22%, and a failing bypass graft in 5% of cases. Bypasses in women were performed for limb salvage in 79%, claudication in 15%, and a failing graft in 6% of cases. Previous revascularizations had been performed in 63% of the men and 71% of the women. Autogenous vein was used in 97% of the bypasses in men and 96% of bypasses in women. Graft distribution among infrainguinal arterial target sites was similar between the groups. Bypasses in men were femoral to above-knee popliteal in 11%, femoral to below-knee popliteal in 40%, femoral to tibial in 38%, popliteal to tibial in 10%, and tibial to tibial in 1% of cases. Bypasses in women were femoral to above-knee popliteal in 14%, femoral to below-knee popliteal in 43%, femoral to tibial in 33%, popliteal to tibial in 9%, and tibial to tibial in 1% of cases. RESULTS: Perioperative 30-day mortality rates were 3.7% overall, 4.3% in men, and 2.9% in women. Long-term survival at 1, 3, and 5 years in men was 80%, 59%, and 44%, respectively. Long-term survival at 1, 3, and 5 years in women was 83%, 69%, and 44%, respectively. Life-table primary patency rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 86%, 77%, and 71% for men and 87%, 74%, and 67% for women. Limb-salvage results at 1 and 5 years were 93% and 91% for men and 96% and 96% for women. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that long-term graft patency and limb salvage results in women are identical to those obtained in men in this experience with autogenous vein. Infrainguinal arterial reconstruction can be performed in women with mortality rates similar to those of men. In this series long-term survival was similar for both men and women.

Adolescent↗

Arteritis.

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Arteritis↗

Neurologic deficits following noncarotid vascular surgery.

Neurologic events following noncarotid vascular surgery (NCVS) are considered unpredictable. To test this hypothesis, we reviewed our vascular registry for a 3-year period and identified all patients with new postoperative focal neurologic events (stroke, hemispheric transient ischemic attack [TIA]) within 2 weeks of a category I or II vascular procedure as defined by the American Board of Surgery, exclusive of carotid surgery and arterial trauma. Thirteen of 1,390 NCVS procedures (0.9%) in 13 patients were associated with focal neurologic events. There were 2 TIAs, 10 anterior circulation strokes, and 1 posterior circulation stroke. Twenty-seven percent of strokes were fatal. The neurologic deficit developed in the immediate postoperative period in 31%, more than 4 hours but less than 72 hours postoperatively in 54%, and within 3 to 14 days postoperatively in 15%. Patients with anterior circulation events (group A, n = 12) were compared for variables potentially influencing postoperative stroke with case controls who were selected using a table of random numbers (group B, n = 12). Controls were derived from a pool of all category I or II NCVS procedures recorded in our vascular registry sequentially during the same time period and who were without new neurologic deficits postoperatively. Using Fisher's exact test, comparisons between groups A and B revealed that new anterior circulation neurologic events in vascular surgical patients tended to be associated with intra-abdominal procedures (p less than 0.05), perioperative hypotension (p less than 0.05), and the presence of a greater than or equal to 50% internal carotid artery stenosis ipsilateral to the neurologic event (p less than 0.001). Such information may prove useful in the management of selected patients prior to arterial reconstruction and in operated NCVS patients with postoperative neurologic events.

Aged↗

Upper extremity arterial bypass distal to the wrist.

Seventeen arterial bypass procedures distal to the wrist have been performed in 13 men and two women at the Oregon Health Sciences University during the past 9 years. Ten patients had traumatic true or false aneurysms of the ulnar artery with digital embolization. Five patients with end-stage renal disease had severe hand and finger ischemia manifested by rest pain or digital ulceration resulting from widespread forearm and hand arterial occlusions. Patients with aneurysms of the ulnar artery underwent excision and reversed autogenous vein grafting (n = 11) from the distal ulnar artery in the forearm to the superficial palmar arch. All the patients with end-stage renal disease had severe occlusive disease of the forearm and hand arteries and underwent a variety of procedures including radial-radial bypass (n = 2), ulnar-ulnar bypass (n = 2), radial-radial bypass with takedown of a Brescia-Cimino fistula (n = 1), and brachial-radial bypass (n = 1). High-quality upper extremity and magnification hand arteriography was essential for operative planning and was available on all patients. Distal saphenous vein from the ankle or foot was the graft source in 16 procedures and basilic vein the source in one procedure. All operations were performed with headlight illumination, optical loupes, fine sutures, and microvascular instruments. There were no operative deaths or major complications. The mean follow-up period was 14 months. Of the 17 grafts, 16 remained patent by clinical and vascular lab criteria. The single occlusion occurred in an ulnar aneurysm bypass and was accompanied only by mild intolerance to cold.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

The association of elevated plasma homocyst(e)ine with progression of symptomatic peripheral arterial disease.

Plasma homocyst(e)ine (the sum of free and bound homocysteine, homocystine, and the mixed disulfide homocysteine-cysteine, expressed as homocysteine) levels were determined by high performance liquid chromatography in 214 patients with symptomatic (claudication, rest pain, gangrene, amputation) lower extremity arterial occlusive disease and/or symptomatic (stroke, cerebral transient ischemic attacks) cerebral vascular disease and in 103 control persons. Mean plasma homocyst(e)ine was significantly higher in patients than in controls (14.37 +/- 6.89 nmol/ml vs 10.10 +/- 2.16, p less than 0.05). Thirty-nine percent of patients (83 of 214) had plasma homocyst(e)ine values greater than control mean + 2 standard deviations. Plasma homocyst(e)ine values were contrasted to age, male sex, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, renal failure, and plasma cholesterol. No difference was found in the incidence and/or level of any of these risk factors when patients with normal plasma homocyst(e)ine were compared to those with elevated plasma homocyst(e)ine, both by univariate and multivariate analysis. Patients with elevated plasma homocyst(e)ine were more likely to demonstrate clinical progression of lower extremity disease and of coronary artery disease, but not of cerebral vascular disease than were patients with normal plasma homocyst(e)ine, and the rate of progression was more rapid (p = 0.002). Progression of lower extremity disease as assessed in the vascular laboratory was also more common in patients with elevated plasma homocyst(e)ine (p = 0.01). We conclude that elevated plasma homocyst(e)ine is an independent risk factor for symptomatic lower extremity disease or cerebral vascular disease or both. Symptomatic patients with lower extremity disease and with elevated plasma homocyst(e)ine also appear to have more rapid progression of disease.

Age Factors↗

Avoiding coagulopathy in vascular surgery.

The possibility of coagulopathy can be minimized by attending to certain general perioperative details to avoid hypothermia, hypotension-shock, and multiple transfusions. In this paper, we present our protocol for avoiding coagulopathy in vascular surgery. In the past 1 1/2 years, we have used perioperative plasmapheresis in 204 patients undergoing cardiac or aortic peripheral vascular surgery. Autologous platelet-rich plasma is transfused at the completion of the operation after heparin reversal. Our data show an approximate 50% reduction in homologous blood product requirement. Seventy-five percent of patients having aortic surgery received no homologous blood products during their hospital stay. For those undergoing cardiac surgery, there has been about a 45% reduction in the use of homologous blood products. In our experience, autologous platelet-rich plasma not only decreases the risk of transmittable disease, but promotes hemostasis.

Blood Coagulation↗

Improving survival and limb salvage in patients with aortic graft infection.

A 15-year experience with 38 aortic graft infections, including 15 patients with graft enteric fistulas, is reviewed in order to analyze modern-day surgical results utilizing extra-anatomic bypass and aortic graft excision. Perioperative mortality was 14% during the most recent 7-year interval, which was a notable improvement compared with the earlier time interval (p = 0.06). Extended follow-up of the perioperative survivors demonstrated a 77% cumulative 5-year survival and a 76% cumulative 5-year limb salvage rate. Subsequent axillofemoral graft infection occurred in 22% of survivors and resulted in a significantly higher amputation rate compared with those patients with no axillofemoral graft infection (p less than 0.001). The results suggest good perioperative and long-term survival in patients with aortic graft infection, with excellent limb salvage if subsequent axillofemoral graft infection can be avoided.

Aged↗

Surgical treatment of distal ulnar artery aneurysm.

In the past 7 years, we have encountered six patients with finger ischemia as a result of digital artery occlusion associated with seven distal ulnar artery aneurysms. Our experience with the management of these patients forms the basis of this report. All patients were men, with a mean age of 29 years, and all experienced repetitive trauma to the involved upper extremity. Each patient presented with the acute onset of cool and painful digits, with no previous history of cold sensitivity or Raynaud's syndrome. None of the patients had any serologic or clinical evidence of autoimmune disease. Angiography revealed occlusion of the ulnar artery on the affected side in two patients and patent ulnar artery aneurysms in the remaining five patients. There was occlusion of multiple common and proper digital arteries in all patients. One patient with bilateral ulnar artery aneurysms underwent operative repair consisting of aneurysm excision and replacement with autogenous vein grafts from the lower extremity. All patients have improved symptoms, and the grafts remained patent over a mean follow-up of 24 months (range: 13 to 57 months). Based on these results, we recommend that excision and grafting be considered for patients with symptomatic patent ulnar artery aneurysms. Selected patients with thrombosed aneurysms with ongoing digital ischemia may also benefit from surgical intervention.

Adolescent↗

The effects of cooling on human saphenous vein reactivity to adrenergic agonists.

Human saphenous veins were obtained at surgery and assayed immediately (n = 10). The veins were cut into rings, suspended in organ chambers, and connected to force transducers for the recording of isometric tension. One ring served as control whereas others were treated with the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin (3 X 10(-7) mol/L), or the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist rauwolscine (10(-7) mol/L). In quiescent rings cooling from 37 degrees C to 24 degrees C had no significant effect. Norepinephrine (10(-8)-10(-5) mol/L) caused concentration-dependent contractions with an EC20 (-log concentration of norepinephrine required to induce contractions 20% of maximal) = 6.97 +/- 0.10. The contractions were inhibited by prazosin (EC20 = 5.89 +/- 0.17, p less than 0.001) and rauwolscine (ED20 = 5.78 +/- 0.11, p less than 0.001). In control rings cooling potentiated contractions evoked at concentrations of norepinephrine below 10(-6) mol/L and inhibited those at higher concentrations. In rings treated with alpha-antagonists cooling depressed the maximal contractile responses. Contractions to the alpha 1-agonist, phenylephrine (10(-7)-10(-4) mol/L), were inhibited by cooling, whereas those to the alpha 2-specific agonist B-HT 920 (10(-7)-10(-4) mol/L) showed a pattern similar to that seen with norepinephrine. The data indicate that the human saphenous vein possesses both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors postjunctionally, and that both contribute to contractile responses. Cold augments saphenous vein reactivity to norepinephrine by an apparent increase in the responsiveness of alpha 2-adrenoceptors to agonists. The relationship between temperature and adrenoceptor responsiveness may be of pivotal importance in defining the mechanism of cold-induced vasospasm.

Cold Temperature↗

Clinical results of axillobifemoral bypass using externally supported polytetrafluoroethylene.

Seventy-six axillobifemoral grafts with externally supported polytetrafluoroethylene prostheses were performed since 1983. The indications for operation were absolute (aortic sepsis) in 20 (26%) patients and relative (excessive operative risk or technical difficulty) in 56 (74%) patients. The life-table primary patency for these operations at 4 years follow-up (mean follow-up, 2 years, 4 months) was 85%. We conclude that the patency results achieved in this patient series are sufficiently satisfactory to warrant use of axillobifemoral grafts in an expanded number of patients with high operative risk and need for bypass of aortoiliac occlusive disease.

Aged↗

The importance of routine surveillance of distal bypass grafts with duplex scanning: a study of 379 reversed vein grafts.

To assess the utility of routine duplex surveillance, 379 infrainguinal reversed vein grafts performed at two independent teaching hospitals were prospectively entered into a surveillance protocol from March 1986 through August 1989. An average of 3.2 postoperative duplex graft flow velocity (GFV) measurements per graft was obtained during a mean follow-up interval of 21 1/2 months. Only 2.1% of 280 grafts with GFV measurements greater than 45 cm/sec failed within 6 months of a normal surveillance examination. GFV measurements less than 45 cm/sec in 99 grafts led to arteriography in 75 grafts, identifying 50 stenotic lesions in 48 bypasses (12.6% of series). Inflow lesions were present in 5%, outflow stenoses in 2%, and intrinsic graft stenoses in only 6% of bypasses. Only 29% of grafts identified as failing by duplex scan were associated with a reduction in ankle-brachial index of greater than 0.15. Secondary reconstructions were performed in 48 grafts based on detection of a reduced GFV measurement; all such reconstructions are patent after a mean follow-up of 5 months. Duplex surveillance is more reliable in identification of failing vein grafts than is determination of ankle-brachial index.

Adult↗

The plasma collection system: a new concept in autotransfusion.

We have used the Haemonetics Cell-Saver autotransfusion technique in over 6,500 cases since 1979, salvaging more than 11,000 units of packed red blood cells. Major utilization has been in cardiac, vascular, and orthopedic cases. Coagulopathy associated with hypothermia, shock, multiple transfusions, and the autotransfusion technique, which removes clotting factors and platelets, often necessitated use of fresh-frozen plasma and platelet packs postoperatively to control bleeding and clotting problems. However, this defeats the prevention of disease transmission, transfusion reaction, and autoimmunization. Haemonetics has recently developed a plasma collection system which salvages up to 1,000 cc of platelet-rich plasma. Early experience suggests this technique will not only decrease the incidence of postoperative bleeding but further decrease the use of homologous (bank) blood and components. A step-by-step guide to the plasma collection system is discussed. The plasma collection system augments the present autotransfusion technique that conserves red blood cells, thus making complete autologous blood transfusion a reality.

Blood Transfusion, Autologous↗

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the external iliac vein: a primary vascular tumor presenting as traumatic venous obstruction.

A 32-year-old man employed as a laborer presented with the signs and symptoms of iliofemoral venous obstruction of 1 months' duration. Results of initial phlebography from the ankle to the femoral area were normal. No iliac vein anatomy was seen. This led to a group of tests directed toward neuromuscular function, which were unrewarding. On referral to our institution a noninvasive venous vascular laboratory examination was performed, which clearly indicated iliac vein obstruction/stenosis, with a normally patent distal venous system. Subsequent repeat phlebography, including direct femoral vein injection, visualized a mass lesion partially occluding the iliac vein. This lesion was treated with primary excision and segmental venous replacement with an interposition graft of autogeneous internal jugular vein. The excised lesion proved to be an epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the iliac vein.

Adult↗

Short limb and the ball-and-socket ankle deformity.

Congenital ball-and-socket ankle deformity is a complex pediatric orthopedic deformity that usually is associated with a short limb, a short fibula, distal tibial dysplasia, rearfoot coalition, and ray deficiency. The author reviews the literature on this orthopedic complex, presents two cases, and discusses the practical clinical management of this syndrome.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗