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Surgical management of carotid stenosis has evolved from open carotid endarterectomy (CEA) to include multiple alternative procedures including transfemoral carotid artery stenting (tfCAS) and transcarotid artery stenting. In recent years, Transcarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR) has emerged as a third option, combining open cut down to the common carotid artery (CCA) with endovascular stenting and neuroprotection via reversal of cerebral blood flow. In this case series, a modified TCAR procedure using a prosthetic conduit was successfully performed exclusively under local anesthesia in a total of 10 patients with carotid artery stenosis, high cardiac risk, and anatomical contraindications to a traditional TCAR., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Introduction: Targeted false lumen management has been described for complex presentations of aortic dissection. The "Knickerbocker" technique is often referenced and includes dilating a focal portion of an oversized endograft in the true lumen to purposefully rupture the false lumen septum, but at the expense of increased risk for visceral propagation and malperfusion. This case series describes a novel modification of the Knickerbocker technique by caging the distal end of the endograft prior to focal dilation., Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted at a tertiary academic center from 2018-2020. Patients were included if they had a history or current presentation of aortic dissection and underwent a Caged Knickerbocker (CKB) repair. Data were collected to include demographics, indications for repair, technical success, perioperative outcomes, hospital course, mortality, and further aortic interventions., Results: Five patients were included in our evaluation. Four patients (80%) presented with chronic Type B aortic dissection (cTBAD) and concomitant aneurysmal degeneration of the thoracic aorta; 1 patient (20%) presented with an acute rupture secondary to cTBAD. Three patients (60%) had previous aortic repairs, 2 of which were for Type A Aortic Dissection that additionally required redo sternotomy and total arch replacement prior to CKB. CKB was technically successful in all cases with no peri-operative complications. Two (40%) patients required further aortic intervention due to aneurysmal degeneration., Conclusion: Achieving complete false lumen thrombosis is a considerable challenge when managing complex aortic dissections. Our data demonstrate the technical feasibly and early successful outcomes with the CKB approach. Importantly, CKB facilitates future distal extension into the para-visceral aorta in cases of complex thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. Further research should focus on discerning individual patients who will benefit from targeted false lumen management and compare outcomes between different approaches.

We describe the cases of 2 patients who had septic thrombophlebitis and were successfully managed with endovascular thrombectomy. Patient A developed septic thrombophlebitis of the inferior vena cava after several retroperitoneal resections for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The thrombus was successfully removed via endovascular mechanical balloon thrombectomy. Patient B was a patient with pancreatic adenocarcinoma involving the portal vein who developed a septic inferior vena cava thrombus extending from the level and beyond the renal veins, for which she underwent endovascular thrombectomy. We argue that this approach is safe and feasible. It should be considered as a supplemental treatment modality for select decompensating patients who require lifesaving interventions and have contraindications to traditional management of surgical thrombectomy or excision of the involved venous segment.

We report a case of a complex chronic type B aortic dissection treated by thoracic endovascular aortic repair and laser fenestration of the false septum to preserve flow to branch vessels originating from both the true and false lumen. Dissections complicated by thoracoabdominal aneurysmal degeneration with critical organs being perfused by branches arising from both true and false lumens are rare and leave limited options for repair. Despite advancements in endovascular techniques, fenestration remains one of the only means of preserving flow to both the true and false lumens and thus was necessary in the management of our patient. This novel procedure allows complex aortic dissections to be addressed endovascularly, which increases the flexibility and management of this challenging problem that previously required an open repair with significant morbidity.

Chondrosarcoma of the nose and paranasal sinuses is extremely rare. We report a case of a child with a massive chondrosarcoma of the sphenoethmoid complex who presented with a change of visual acuity. Clinical and histologic characteristics of this lesion are discussed, along with treatment options and factors affecting prognosis.