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Introduction: Thoracoabdominal aortic surgery is a technically demanding and extensive treatment that has its place in the era of endovascular techniques. To ensure the best possible outcomes, it requires a well-coordinated team of surgeons, anaesthetists, intensive care physicians and other medical staff., Methods: The authors present a series of 300 patients operated on between 1 January 2003 and 15 March 2022. Although the group included sporadic cases of severe obliterating involvement of the visceral aorta, patients with thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA) constituted the vast majority. All known organ preservation procedures were used during the operations. The thoraco-phreno-retroperitoneal approach was chosen in almost all TAAA cases; the thoraco-phreno-transperitoneal approach was used only in two reoperations., Results: In this cohort, type II thoracoabdominal aneurysm according to Crawford classification was most common (33%). This was followed by type IV (32%), type III (15.3%), type I (8.7%), type V (6.7%) and other thoracoabdominal aortic procedures (4.3%). Thirty-day mortality rate was 9.6% (2019 - 6%, 2020 - 9.5%, 2021 - 3.8%) in this group; surgical postoperative complications occurred in 36 patients (12%). Neurological complications were reported in 16 cases (5.3%), of which postoperative paraplegia was noted 6 times (2%). Temporary postoperative dialysis due to renal insufficiency was performed in 19 patients (6.3%) and 4 patients (1.3%) have entered the chronic dialysis programme. In 67 patients (23.3%), temporary tracheostomy was done postoperatively due to prolonged withdrawal from the lung ventilator., Conclusion: Surgical treatment of the thoracoabdominal aorta is one of the most extensive procedures in vascular surgery and the mortality and morbidity rates still remain relatively high. A multidisciplinary approach, sufficient experience and a dedicated team are essential for a successful outcome of these highly specialised operations.

Introduction: Based on their experience with robot-assisted vascular surgery, the authors present some unique types of procedures they have performed in this area., Methods: From November 2005 to February 2022, a total of 560 robotic vascular procedures were performed, of which 70 were orphan operations, corresponding to 12.5%. The most common was robotic decompression of the coeliac trunk (18 times) in Dunbar syndrome, followed by robotic repair of type II endoleak after stent graft implantation (15 times) and robotic repair of splenic artery aneurysm (11 times). Less common were isolated pelvic artery aneurysm surgery (8 times), aortic thromboenderectomy and abdominal aortic patch repair (8 times) and hybrid surgery (6 times). Completely unique are renal artery reconstruction (2 times), operation of internal mammary artery aneurysm (1 time) in a patient with Marfan syndrome and paracaval biopsy (1 time) in a cancer patient., Results: In 3 cases (4.2%) the operation had to be converted to open surgery. Twice in the management of splenic artery aneurysm due to flat adhesions in the abdominal cavity and once in the endoleak operation, when due to the very fragile wall of the dilated and pulsating abdominal aortic aneurysm sac, we considered manipulation with robotic instruments to be highly risky. There was zero mortality in this cohort; one patient had to undergo laparoscopic diaphragm repair for diaphragmatic hernia at another institution after deliberation of the coeliac trunk and in one case open surgery was needed for persistent endoleak., Conclusion: The use of the robotic system can be beneficial also in less frequent procedures, offering the patients all the advantages of robotic surgery. However, the need of extensive experience in robotic surgery should be emphasized because these operations are rare and perfect anatomical knowledge of the area is necessary.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical experience with 379 robot-assisted vascular procedures performed from November 2005 to December 2016 at our institution., Methods: A total of 366 cases (96.6%) were successfully completed using the robotic surgical systems da Vinci Standard and da Vinci Xi., Results: Conversion was necessary in 13 patients (3.4%). The 30-day mortality was 0.26% and 2 (0.5%) late prosthetic infections occurred., Conclusions: From a practical point of view, the greatest advantage of robot-assisted procedures has been the speed and relative simplicity of vascular anastomosis construction. Our experience with robot-assisted surgery has demonstrated the safety and feasibility of this technique in different areas of vascular surgery.Key words: robotic vascular surgery aortic and non-aortic surgery.

Introduction: The authors present a group of patients, who underwent standard procedures on thoracic (TAA) and thoracoabdominal (TAAA) aortic aneurysms from 01-01-2009 to 15-09-2010., Material and Methods: During the above time period, a total of 29 patients were operated. The authors employed as many known organ protection procedures as possible, including reduced heparinization, mild hypothermia (32-34 degrees C), sequential aortic clamping cerebrospinal drainage, left heart bypass (a biopump) with non-ischemic canylation of the femoral artery, selective visceral blood perfusion (superior mesenteric artery and coeliac trunk) and renal arteries perfusion using cold crystallic solution. For technical reasons, monitoring of somatosensory and motor evoked potentials was used only twice. In the majority of TAAA procedures, the thoracoretroperitoneal approach was used., Results: During the studied period, the overall mortality rate was 24%. In 2009, a total of 16 patients were operated, out of which 14 subjects underwent elective procedures. Two subjects underwent urgent procedures for ruptures and both of them died. In 2009, the mortality rate was 21% for planned procedures. In the following year, from January to September 15, a total of 13 patients underwent surgery, out of whom 11 underwent elective and two urgent procedures. The group's overall mortality rate was 15.4%, the mortality rate in elective surgery patients was 9% . One patient undergoing urgent surgery survived and one exited. Postoperative paraplegia was reported in one subject (3,4%), postoperative dialysis due to postoperative renal insufficiency was used in 6.9% and other postoperative complications occurred in 10,3% of the subjects., Conclusion: Mortality and morbidity rates in the surgical management of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms remain considerably high, although new procedures of organ protection help to reduce it. These highly specialized procedures require a multispecialty approach and a well- coordinated surgical team, specialized in this problematics.

Aim: Based on experience with 150 robot-assisted vascular reconstructions, the authors discuss current potential applications of the Da Vinci robotic system in vascular surgery, as well as a potential for further use of this new technology in vascular surgery., Material and Methodology: In vascular surgery, laparoscopic methods have never been used as much as in general surgery. Although many studies presenting interesting outcomes have been published, laparoscopic vascular surgery has not been generally accepted. Its main problems include duration of the procedure and, in particular, the vascular staple size and associated difficulties with the vascular anastomosis suturing. However, recently, there have been many revolutionary advancements in medicine, including vascular surgery. Robot-assisted surgery is the next step in the development of miniinvasive methods. From November 2005 to August 2009, the authors performed 150 robot-assisted vascular reconstructions in the aorto-iliac region. Besides aorto-femoral reconstructions, the most significant procedures also included aortic aneurysm procedures, procedures on pelvic and splenic arteries, as well as hybrid procedures., Results: In four cases (2.7%) conversion to classical procedures were required and four subjects (2.7%) developed serious postoperative complications. In a single case (0.7%), the robotic apparatus had a defect during the procedure and the procedure was completed using laparoscopy. In a single case (0.7%), the procedure had to be cancelled because of an inoperable finding on the aorta. The average duration of the procedure in this study group was 228 minutes, the average time required for anastomosis suturing was 27 minutes and the average stapling time was 39 minutes., Conclusion: Robotic systems increase accuracy, control and quality of surgical procedures and offer higher quality surgery to patients. The authors managed to reach the world primacy in the field of vascular surgery and the Czech Republic has become a significant world leader in this superspecialized surgical specialty.

The authors describe their first hybrid, combined robot-assisted surgical procedure. The procedure included robot-assisted aorto-bifemoral reconstruction and robot-assisted incisional hernioplasty in one step. The procedure has not been published in the literature yet, and it indicates that, with certain experience, concomittant management of a secondary disorder may be performed together with a minimally invasive procedure for a primary condition, with a very good outcome.

Considering frequencies of the heart cathetrization procedures, including treatment of pseudoaneurysms of the femoral artery using percutaneous thrombotization, a possibility of peripheral arterial emobolization should be considered. The authors describe management of the relatively rare complication in the treatment of postcathetrization pseudoaneurysms. According to the case review, clearing the obliterating arterial embolus of the tissue glue is technically feasible even more than 24 hours folowing the embolization.

Robotic operational systems improve accuracy, control of and skilful management of surgical procedures up to levels unachievable by a human factor itself. A surgeon is also allowed to conduct the types of miniinvasive procedures, which cannot be conducted using contemporary technologies. High degree of the procedure's safety can be achieved. Currently, the robotic surgical systems are used in top clinics worldwide and the concept of the robotic operating theatre is considered to become standard for some procedures in future. In October 2005, a multispecialist robotic centre was opened in the Hospital Na Homolce, which then created a new qualitative standard in the miniinvasive surgical management. The authors present the initial group of patients, who were operated from November 2005 to January 2006 with employement of the da Vinci robotic system, listing its pros and cons.

Some 500 aortoiliac aneurysms are mostly electively operated in the Czech Republic each year. Miniinvasive approaches already widely accepted in general surgery are gradually becoming more routine in vascular surgery as well. Better patient comfort hand in hand with reduced hospital stay represent the major advantages of these procedures. The authors present their initial experience with laparoscopic AAA resection with the use of their own modification of the transperitoneal-retroperitoneal approach. Ischemic preconditionning's techniques with regard to the expected prolonged aortic clamping time were used during surgery.

Laparoscopic techniques, which have been found useful in the general surgical procedures, have influenced the vascular surgical procedures with a certain delay. The main reason for the delay were technical difficulties of the vascular anastomosis, which resulted in a reluctant acceptance of the laparoscopic procedures by vascular surgeons. However, with respect to clear benefits of the miniinvasive procedures, including reduction of the postoperative pain, faster recovery rates and reduction of the total treatment costs, the laparoscopic procedures are finally being applied in the vascular surgery as well. The authors introduce operative results and outcome of ten laparoscopic vascular procedures for aortoiliac occlusive disease, which were conducted from September 2003 to April 2004. In five cases, iliofemoral bypasses were conducted, fourtimes unilateral aortofemoral bypasses (AF) and once an aortobifemoral bypass (ABF). All the IF and AF reconstructions were conducted via laparoscopy and the ABF reconstruction was conducted as laparoscopy-assisted.

A cohort of 14 patients with bacterial destruction of various segments of the aortic wall is presented. The Salmonella enteritidis strain was predominantly responsible. Most patients had typical history of symptomatic trias of sepsis, abdominal and/or back pain and positive blood cultures. CT scan showed pseudoaneurysm within the thoracic, subphrenic or subrenal aorta as well as acute hemorrhage in three patients. One of these was excluded from invasive treatment due to hopeless prognosis. In one patient primary aortoduodenal phistula was responsible for GI bleeding. Five patients were operated and prosthetic replacement of subrenal or iuxtarenal aortic portion together with aortorenal bypass in a couple of cases was performed. In eight patients stentgrafts (SG) of various types were deployed completed with femorofemoral crossover bypass when necessary. All patients were subject to long-standing antibiotic therapy. Two patients expired following SG insertion, all operated patients survived. Average follow-up has been 1 year (1-22 months) so far. A groin abscess was later drained in one patient. Neither CT nor isotope scanning showed persistent or recurrent infectious or hemorrhagic foci in any survivors whatsoever. The authors review and consider the doubtful indication of aortic SG deployment into the septic terrain in selected cases. Midterm results might justify its use in overly debilitated patients otherwise not eligible for radical operation due to its prohibitive risk.

The authors present a case of a complex approach to treatment of a symptomatic pseudoaneurysm of the distal anastomosis of the aorta-aortic replacement in concurrence with a carcinoma of the right kidney. The patient was acutely hospitalized in August 2003 for a two-day-history of a stomach ache. In March 1996, the patient underwent a surgical resection and the aorta-aortic replacement of the abdominal aorta aneurysm. On admission, the CT-AG scan showed a large pseudoaneurysm (5 x 4 x 8 cm) localized in the area of the distal anastomosis with a suspected leak of the contrast matter to the surrounding tissues. Furthermore, an extrarnally bulging expansion in the superior part of the right kidney with a central necrosis measuring 31 mm and the sigmoid diverticulosis were reported as accidental findings.