Low-dose colistin is an effective option in the treatment for infections caused by MDR-GNB with a low incidence of nephrotoxicity. Patients who achieved bacterial cure had significantly lower MIC values of colistin against MDR-GNB than those who failed to achieve it. Colistin dose should be based on the MIC data of a given patient or local antimicrobial sensitivity data to maximize its efficacy.

The growing popularity of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has made extensive series comparing laparoscopic and conventional cholecystectomy in a prospective, randomized way nearly impossible. To evaluate LC we compared retrospectively 800 laparoscopic with 748 conventional cholecystectomies (CC). Of the 800 LC, 10 (1.2%) were converted to laparotomy. 6 conversions were related to aberrant anatomical features or features making dissection very difficult, 4 conversions were due to complications. There were 5 (0, 6%) intraoperative complications during LC and 4 (0.5%) during CC. Postoperative morbidity was 2.1% (n 17) after LC and 3.7% (n 28) after CC. Particularly the incidence of wound problems was only 0.5% (n 4) after LC while it was 1.3% (n 10) after CC. Overall morbidity was 2.7% (n 22) for LC and 4.2% (n 32) for CC. Mortality rate after CC was 0.4% (n 3), there were no deaths after LC. Common bile duct-injury rate was 0.2% (n 2) for both groups. Complication rates after LC have been rapidly decreasing with growing experience. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy can safely be performed by appropriately trained surgeons in more than 90% of patients suffering from gallbladder disease. The low morbidity and mortality together with the significant advantages to patient recovery makes laparoscopic cholecystectomy the treatment of choice for symptomatic cholecystolithiasis.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS Affected muscle regions in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are known to be altered by reduced blood supply. Clinical research projects predominantly deal with the investigation of the underlying atherosclerotic lesions and the development of new technical devices for the treatment of those lesions. The investigation of the lower extremity PAD end organ, namely the muscle, has been neglected so far, and in particular the effect of revascularisation on affected muscle regions has not been evaluated. With this study it could be demonstrated that mitochondrial function in affected muscle regions is able to regenerate after revascularisation. Based on these findings, future studies assessing the clinical correlation between maximum walking distance and mitochondrial respiration could give additional information about underlying pathophysiological mechanism of muscle affected by PAD.Objective: Myopathy, characterised by altered mitochondrial function, is a central part of the pathophysiology of peripheral arterial disease and the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of revascularisation on mitochondrial function. Methods: High resolution respirometry was used to investigate mitochondrial respiration and the results were normalised to citrate synthase activity (CSA), a marker of mitochondrial content. Ten patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (study group) and 10 subjects without ischaemia (control group) were included. Ankle brachial index and ultrasound imaging were performed before and after vascular intervention to confirm technically successful revascularisation. Within the study group, muscle biopsies from the gastrocnemius muscle were taken before vascular intervention and six weeks after revascularisation. Within the control group, tissue was harvested once. Results: There were no significant group differences regarding anthropometric data. CSA showed a significant increase after successful revascularisation (CSA pre-operative 281.4 (252.4e391.8) nmol/min/mg protein vs. CSA post-operative 438.5 (361.4e471.3) nmol/min/mg protein; p ¼ .01) with post-operative return of values to the range of control subjects (CSA control 396.6 (308.2e435.9)). Mitochondrial respiration normalised to CSA in oxidative phosphorylation (P) as well as in electron transfer (E) capacity were significantly reduced post-operatively when compared with pre-operative values (P pre-operative 0.218 (0.196e0.266) pmol/(secÂmg) per CSA vs. post-operative 0.132 (0.116e0.150) pmol/(secÂmg) per CSA, p ¼ .007; E pre-operative 0.230 (0.195e0.279) pmol/(secÂmg) per CSA vs. post-operative 0.129 (0.120e0.154) pmol/(secÂmg) per CSA, p ¼ .005) meaning a post-operative return of values to within the range of control subjects (P control 0.124 (0.080e0.155) pmol/(secÂmg) per CSA; E control 0.121 (0.079e0.125) pmol/(secÂmg) per CSA).Conclusion: With these results, it has been shown that the initially impaired mitochondrial function and content can normalise after revascularisation.

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Objective To report and analyze the indications and results of endovascular and open surgical treatment for uretero-arterial fistula. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 25 consecutive patients with uretero-arterial fistulas admitted to our hospital from 2011 to 2020. Endpoints were technical success, freedom from open conversion, stent-graft/graft-related complications, and 30-day and one-year mortality. Results The study included 25 patients (68% female, n = 17) with 27 uretero-arterial fistulas by bilateral pathologies in two patients. The mean age was 61 ± 11 years (range 35–80). The most common predisposing factors for uretero-arterial fistula were history of pelvic operations for malignancy in 21 patients (84%), radiotherapy in 21 patients (84%), previous pelvic vascular bypass in 2 patients (8%), and iliac aneurysms in 2 patients (8%). On average, the period between the primary pelvic surgery and the diagnosis of uretero-arterial fistulas was 46 months (range 7–255). Twenty patients (80%) underwent endovascular treatment of the uretero-arterial fistulas. The primary technical success of the endovascular treatment was 95%, and the freedom from open conversion was 40% at six months and 30% at one year. Thirteen uretero-arterial fistulas (48%) underwent delayed open conversion due to recurrent bleeding in six cases (46%), stent-graft infection in three cases (23%), or pelvic abscess in four cases (31%). Primary open surgery was applied for five (20%) patients. After a mean follow-up of 34 months, early (<30 days) mortality was 8% (2/25), one-year mortality 16% (4/25), and overall mortality was 24% (6/25). Conclusions Uretero-arterial fistula is a late complication of prior pelvic surgery, radiation, and indwelling ureteral stents. Endovascular treatment remains an effective and less invasive modality in controlling the related life-threatening arterial bleeding of the uretero-arterial fistula. Open surgical treatment is still required for patients with local sepsis, previously failed endovascular treatment or infected stent-grafts.

Background So called “mycotic” aortic aneurysms account for only 0.7 to 1.3% of all aortic aneurysms and are commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella species. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), a live attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis, is part of the therapy of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Case presentation We report a case series of three patients with a mycobacterial graft infection related to BCG after surgical treatment of a presumed mycotic aortic aneurysm as an extremely rare complication after NMIBC treatment. All three patients developed aortic aneurysm after BCG instillation and subsequent mycobacterial graft infection. Conclusion Diagnosis requires a high degree of suspicion because of its nonspecific symptoms and imaging. The pathogen is not detected by standard microbiological testing. Treatment includes triple antimycobacterial therapy and radical surgical interventions. Graft preservation may be considered if no anastomosis is involved.

Background Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is accompanied by myopathy characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the effect of revascularization procedures on mitochondrial function in ischemic and non-ischemic muscle. Methods Muscle biopsies from patients with symptomatic stage IIB/III PAD caused by isolated pathologies of the superficial femoral artery were obtained from muscle regions within the chronic ischemic muscle (gastrocnemius) and from non-ischemic muscle (vastus lateralis) before and 6 weeks after invasive revascularization. High-resolution respirometry was used to investigate mitochondrial function and results were normalized to citrate synthase activity (CSA). Results are given in absolute values and fold over basal (FOB). Results Respiratory states (OXPHOS (P) and electron transfer (E) capacity) normalized to CSA decreased while CSA was increased in chronic ischemic muscle after revascularization. There were no changes in in non-ischemic muscle. The FOB of chronic ischemic muscle was significantly higher for CSA (chronic ischemic 1.37 (IQR 1.10–1.64) vs. non-ischemic 0.93 (IQR 0.69–1.16) p = 0.020) and significantly lower for respiratory states normalized to CSA when compared to the non-ischemic muscle (P per CSA chronic ischemic 0.64 (IQR 0.46–0.82) vs non-ischemic 1.16 (IQR 0.77–1.54) p = 0.011; E per CSA chronic ischemic 0.61 (IQR 0.47–0.76) vs. non-ischemic 1.02 (IQR 0.64–1.40) p = 0.010). Conclusions Regeneration of mitochondrial content and function following revascularization procedures only occur in muscle regions affected by malperfusion. This indicates that the restoration of blood and oxygen supply are important mediators aiding mitochondrial recovery.

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Aortale Pathologien nach intravesikaler BCG-Applikation (BCG: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) stellen eine seltene Komplikation nach der Behandlung von nicht muskelinvasiven Harnblasentumoren dar. Das Ziel dieser Studie war es, eine deskriptive Analyse der bisher publizierten Studien im Rahmen einer systematischen Übersichtsarbeit durchzuführen und die besonderen Herausforderungen der Diagnosestellung und Behandlung dieser seltenen Komplikation zu diskutieren. Material und Methode Es erfolgte eine Literaturrecherche in den Datenbanken PubMed (1949–2021) und Web of Science (1900–2021) mit den Suchtermini „mycobacterium“ OR „bovis“ OR „BCG“ AND „aorta“ OR „aneurysm“. In einem stufenweisen Bewertungsverfahren wurden Publikationen mit folgenden Einschlusskriterien in die finale Datenauswertung eingeschlossen: Originalarbeit, Volltextverfügbarkeit in englischer oder deutscher Sprache und aortale Komplikation nach intravesikaler BCG-Instillation. Ergebnisse In 55 publizierten Arbeiten wurden insgesamt 60 Einzelfälle beschrieben. BCG-induzierte, mykotische Aortenaneurysmen können in allen Segmenten der Aorta auftreten, wobei das infrarenale Aortensegment am häufigsten betroffen war (65% aller Fälle). Häufig handelte es sich um sakkuläre (65%) Aussackungen mit (28%) oder ohne Aortenruptur (63%). Begleitinfektionen in anderweitigen Geweben waren typisch (65%). Die Diagnose beruhte auf der Kombination aus pathologischen und mikrobiologischen Analysemethoden. Ein gängiger Therapiealgorithmus war die chirurgische Infektsanierung (85%) und die antimykobakterielle Therapie (83%). Gleichzeitig durchgeführt führten sie zu einem Langzeitüberleben von 81%. Eine Protheseninfektion nach initialem Aortenrepair mit alloplastischem Material (n = 40) entwickelte sich im Verlauf bei 10 Patienten (25%). Diskussion Die Diagnosestellung beruht auf der Probengewinnung jeglichen infizierten Gewebes und der Kombination aus passender Anamnese, Klinik und Laboranalysen. Die Kombination aus chirurgischer Infektsanierung und pharmakologischer Begleittherapie scheint die besten Ergebnisse zu erzielen. Bereits bei der Initialoperation sollte die Möglichkeit eines autologen oder allogenen Aortenersatzes evaluiert werden, da das Risiko eines Protheseninfektes nach Verwendung alloplastischer Materialien hoch ist.