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W Amann

Publications and source records attributed to W Amann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Endovascular stent-graft repair of acute thoracic aortic dissection--early clinical experiences.

BACKGROUND: Standard treatment of acute thoracic aortic dissection type B is the medical therapy used for most patients, according to Stanford. Surgical therapy involves a high mortality rate and is reserved for patients with complicated dissections. We report from four patients with acute thoracic aortic dissection, treated endoluminally by stent-graft implantation. METHODS: Four patients with complicated acute thoracic aortic dissections type B were treated endoluminally by transfemoral stent-graft implantation. Preoperative evaluation was performed with spiral-computed tomography and calibrated aortography. The Talent stent-graft system (Metronic) was used in all patients. RESULTS: The primary entry tear could be sealed successfully and complete thrombosis of the false thoracic aortic lumen was obtained in all cases. In one patient, transposition of the left subclavian artery was performed, in two patients the stent-grafts had to be placed across the origin of the left subclavian artery. No severe intra- or postoperative complications occurred. CONCLUSION: Endoluminal treatment of acute thoracic aortic dissection seems to be a less invasive and effective therapy. Long-term results for this method are necessary.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

[Transposition of the subclavian artery with endovascular stent graft implantation for therapy of acute type B aortic dissection].

We report about a patient with a thoracic aneurysm caused by an acute type-B dissection. Due to the concomitant affections the risk of surgery was distinctly increased, the reconstruction was performed endo vascular by stentgraft implantation (Talent, World Medical Systems, Sunrise FL) after transposition of the left subclavian artery to create a sufficient neck for the proximal stent placement. Endoluminal treatment seems to be a promising, less invasive alternative method in the treatment of acute aortic dissections.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

Endovascular stentgraft infection--a life-threatening complication.

The implantation of covered stents or stentgrafts has increased greatly in the last few years for the endovascular reconstruction of arterial aneurysms. We report of three patients experiencing severe septic complications after stentgraft implantation. Endovascular stentgraft infection is a serious complication with high morbidity and mortality. General antibiotic prophylaxis seems to be indicated when implanting stentgrafts.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Cerebrospinal fluid drainage to reverse paraplegia after endovascular thoracic aortic aneurysm repair.

PURPOSE: To report a case of endovascular descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) repair in which delayed-onset paraplegia was reversed using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage. METHODS AND RESULTS: A 74-year-old patient with a 6.0-cm TAA underwent endovascular stent-graft repair that involved overlapping placement of 3 Talent devices to cover the 31-cm-long defect. Twelve hours later, a neurological deficit occurred manifesting as left leg paralysis with paresis on the right. After urgent intrathecal catheter placement and drainage of cerebrospinal fluid for 48 hours, the neurological deficit resolved. The patient's clinical condition was normal and endoluminal exclusion of the TAA remained secure at 8-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This case demonstrates the potential therapeutic role for CSF drainage to reduce the complications of spinal cord injury after endovascular thoracic aneurysm repair.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Primary bacterial aortitis].

Primary bacterial aortitis represents a rare disease with a high lethality. From June 1997 to April 1999 5 patients with an abdominal aortic infection were treated by resection of the infected aorta and in-situ reconstruction or by extra-anatomic bypass. There was no treatment in one case because of the infaust prognosis. 3 patients survived, one with a paraparesis as a result of spinal ischemia. On the basis of our patients the pathogenesis, clinical symptoms with diagnosis and the therapeutic options are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

[Treatment of acute myocardial infarction in Switzerland: is emergency PTCA more costly than thrombolysis?].

Confirming earlier studies with a lower number of patients, the Gusto IIb Angioplasty Substudy has shown that in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction emergency PTCA is superior to thrombolysis in reducing the combined clinical endpoints of death, reinfarction and cerebrovascular infarction. The aim of this study was to assess whether, in the Swiss study population of Gusto IIb, emergency PTCA was associated with higher procedural costs than thrombolysis over a median follow-up of 16 months. Therefore, we compared the costs of the initial and the follow-up hospitalisations. There were no differences in clinical characteristics in the Swiss subpopulation compared to the total study population. In a total of 46 patients, PTCA was performed in 22 and thrombolysis with rtPA in 24. During follow-up, 4 patients died, one in the PTCA group and 3 in the thrombolysis group (p = ns). The median total costs of the initial hospitalisation were somewhat higher in the PTCA group than in the group with thrombolysis. During follow-up only 38% of the patients in the PTCA group had to be rehospitalised, compared to 50% in the thrombolysis group. Median total costs within 16 months, therefore, were similar in the two therapeutic groups, but mean total costs per patient were somewhat lower for the PTCA versus the thrombolysis group (p = ns). Based on this comparison of Swiss procedural costs, emergency PTCA should not, in hospitals with the necessary infrastructure, be withheld in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction on the grounds of initially higher procedural costs, especially as the invasive strategy is associated with a more favourable long-term outcome.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed1999

[Primary bacterial infection of an artery].

INTRODUCTION: Primary bacterial infection of an artery is difficult to diagnose, especially at the beginning of the illness. Most of the patients come for emergency treatment in the phase of rupture. METHODS: The course of illness in four patients serves as background for discussion of the problems of diagnosis and therapy. RESULTS: Bacterial infection of arteries shows a high rate of complications and, for the aorta, high mortality. CONCLUSION: If fever of uncertain origin is combined with pain of the stomach or of the back, or with a painful reddish swelling on a limb, this rare disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

[Posttraumatic aneurysm of the brachiocephalic trunk: a rare injury].

We report on a posttraumatic aneurysm of the brachiocephalic trunk, something which is rather rare. The injury was caused by blunt chest trauma following a car accident. Computed tomography could not find the brachiocephalic lesion. In patients with fractures of the upper ribs after blunt chest trauma, angiography should be done to exclude severe injuries of the aorta and brachiocephalic vessels.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Aplasia of the vena cava inferior as a cause for recurring thrombosis of the lower extremities and pelvic veins.

Congenital anomalies of the caval vein are often associated with other abnormalities such as heart defects, situs inversus or a polysplenia-asplenia-syndrome. An isolated, congenital malformation like aplasia of the inferior vena cava is a rare finding. A review of the embryology and abnormalities, diagnostics, clinical signs and treatment is given together with the histories of two patients having thrombosis of the lower extremities and pelvic veins, caused by aplasia of the inferior vena cava. After thrombotic complications caused by vena cava aplasia there is high risk of recurrence. Those patients should be anticoagulated for lifetime.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

A randomized evaluation of early revascularization to treat shock complicating acute myocardial infarction. The (Swiss) Multicenter Trial of Angioplasty for Shock-(S)MASH.

AIM: To test whether emergency revascularization improves survival in patients with acute myocardial infarction and shock. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients with acute myocardial infarction and early shock were randomized either to undergo emergency angiography, followed immediately by revascularization when indicated, or to receive initial medical management. In five of the nine participating centres, patients with shock but not randomized were entered in a registry. Only 55 patients could be randomized. Of the 32 patients in the invasive group, 30 (94%) underwent early angiography, 27 (84%) PTCA, and one (4%) CABG. Twenty-two (69%) died within 30 days in the invasive group vs 18/23 (78%) in the medically managed group (ns, RR=0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.6-1.2). Among the registry patients, 24/51 were excluded from randomization solely because of patient or physician preference for the invasive approach: 23 (96%) of them underwent emergency angiography, 21 (88%) PTCA, and 12 (50%) died within 30 days. Among the remaining registry patients (n=27) only nine (33%) underwent early angiography, nine (33%) PTCA and 20 (74%) died. CONCLUSION: We failed to demonstrate that emergency PTCA significantly improves survival in patients with acute myocardial infarction and early cardiogenic shock. Because the study was stopped prematurely, due to an insufficient patient inclusion rate, a clinically meaningful benefit of early reperfusion may have been missed.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). 8 years of clinical experience in 232 patients.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is now a standard method for providing long-term enteral nutrition in patients who are unable to swallow. The aim of our study was to document clinical data that would allow prediction of a possible complicated clinical course. METHODS: The study was carried out retrospectively. Clinical data of patients having received a PEG tube by a single endoscopic technique were analyzed. RESULTS: Some 5. 17% of 232 patients showed complications requiring surgery including a mortality rate of 0.43%. Patients with complications had a significantly lower body mass index and there was a significantly higher complication rate in patients having obstructive malignancies compared with benign diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Low body mass index and advanced malignancies are predictors for complications after PEG application. Early installation should help prevent further nutritional deterioration and the related risk of complications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[Isolated pelvic vein thrombosis in a young marathon runner].

The case of a 20-year old female patient who developed an isolated thrombosis of the pelvic vein after a marathon run, is presented. After surgical treatment and anticoagulation for one year, complete restitution was seen. The possible relation between marathon running and venous thrombosis without other risk factors is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Vascular complications of lumbar disc surgery.

Over a period of seven years nine patients with vascular complications after lumber discectomy received medical care at the Clinic of Vascular Surgery, University of Graz Medical School. We report five acute bleeding complications occurring during the operation and four late manifestations of vascular lesions. Five patients presented with acute life-threatening iatrogenic haemorrhages from pelvic vessels. Three patients made a complete recovery, one patient died from acute haemorrhagic shock, one further patient died from sepsis due to an associated complication-an injury to the ureter. Over a period of two to ten years after primary surgery we corrected late complications such as 1 case of posttraumatic aneurysm of the aortic bifurcation found to have eroded the body of the fifth lumbar vertebra, and three cases of arteriovenous fistula between the common iliac artery and the common iliac vein. The four cases described below are an attempt to document the vascular surgical procedures involved and to provide typical findings. The risk of injuring the pelvic vessels intra-operatively can be explained by the close anatomical relation between the retroperitoneal vessels and the vertebral column and furthermore not only by the fact that pre-existent deficiencies but also injury to the anterior longitudinal ligament give access to the retroperitoneal space.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Local vascular complications after iatrogenic femoral artery puncture].

Over a period of 5 years 81 vascular complications after 15,460 catheterizations of the femoral artery for diagnostic (n = 11,883) or therapeutic (n = 3577) procedures were registered. The following complications were observed in declining frequency: 1. False aneurysm (n = 65), 2. arterial occlusion (dissection, embolia, thrombosis) (n = 8), 3. vascular lesion causing profuse bleeding (n = 7), 4. AV-fistula (n = 1). The total complication rate was 0.52%. The complication rate was significantly higher in therapeutical procedures (1,03%) than in diagnostic investigations (0.37%). Pseudoaneurysms were complicated by thrombosis of the femoral vein (n = 3), lymphatic fistula (n = 3) and deep wound infection (n = 9); secondary complication rate 18.5%. Risk factors for local vascular complications are old age, female gender, high grade arteriosclerosis at the puncture site, overweight, manifest arterial hypertension and medication with cumarin, acetylsalicylic acid or heparin. Further complicating factors are connected with technical risks such as duration of the procedure. French size of the catheter, the catheter sheath and multiple punctures. Vascular repair was performed by simple angiography in most cases, but in 14.8% more extensive surgical procedures were required. In patients with signs of occlusive vascular disease the external iliac artery was replaced by a PTFE-vascular access graft in 4 cases and an arterioplasty of the deep femoral artery was performed in 2 patients. 36% of the operations were undertaken as emergencies. Reintervention was necessary for a postoperative bleeding complication in 1 case (surgical complication rate 1.2%). A female patient suffering from aortic valve stenosis died during emergency operation due to massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage after cardiac catheterization (mortality rate 1.2%). Over a median follow-up period of 37 months no late complications of the intervention were recorded, nor recurrences of peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

[An interdisciplinary therapy concept in treatment of paragangliomas of the skull base--demonstrated with a case].

Surgical resection of paragangliomas in the cervical region is complicated due to the tumour vascularity and is associated with the risk of major intraoperative blood loss. Preoperative angiographic embolization of the tumour supplying arteries by intravascular injection of gelfoam and implantation of microcoils was performed to decrease tumour vascularity. We report the case of a 78 years old female patient suffering from a carotid body tumour. Computed tomography demonstrated spreading of the tumour from the carotid bifurcation up to the base of the skull. Primary surgical resection was aborted because of the bleeding tendency of the tumour. Tumour embolization was required in order to achieve the therapeutic aim of a complete extirpation of tumourous tissue by preserving the vascular system of the internal carotid artery. The reported case is completed by a review of literature.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

The impact of resection margins in the treatment of primary sarcomas of the breast. A clinicopathological study of 8 cases with review of literature.

We reviewed the clinical and pathological features of eight patients (seven females, one male), who underwent surgery for sarcomas of the breast, to evaluate the effect of the margins of resection and histological tumor type on survival. Patients with carcinosarcoma, cystosarcoma phyllodes or dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans were excluded. Tumor size ranged between 4.5 and 26 cm (median 12.8 cm); there were three grade 3, four grade 2 and one grade 1 lesions. Of the five patients treated by radical resection margins, two with large grade 3 sarcomas died of distant metastasis 3 and 10 months later. One patient out of the five radical resected patients developed a local recurrence 96 months later. The recurrence was resected radically, radiotherapy was administered, and the patient is still alive at 168 months. The remaining four radical resected patients are free of disease until now. One of three patients, treated by wide or marginal resection, received adjuvant radiotherapy. This patient developed local recurrence and solitary distant metastasis at 26 and 49 months, respectively, and died of multiple distant metastasis at 54 months. Regional axillary lymph node metastasis was not observed in five patients in whom lymph node dissection was performed, with a median of 14.2 dissected lymph nodes. Two of eight patients received preoperative chemo- or radiotherapy because of large tumor size; five of eight received postoperative radiotherapy. Local tumor control was achieved in six of eight patients. The median follow-up time was 53.9 months (3-168 months), of all survivors median 72.2 months. Recurrence and disease-free survival rates were analysed according to histologic grade, tumor size, stage, surgical and adjuvant treatment.

Adult↗