Nephroprotective imaging in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is often crucial. We compared the diagnostic performance of non-contrast Quiescent-interval single-shot magnetic resonance angiography (QISS MRA) and carbon-dioxide digital subtraction angiography (CO2 DSA) in chronic lower extremity PAD patients. A 19-segment lower extremity arterial model was used to assess the degree of stenosis (none, 70%) and the image quality (5-point Likert scale: 1-non-diagnostic, 5-excellent image quality). Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated for inter-rater reliability. Diagnostic accuracy and interpretability were evaluated using CO2 DSA as a reference standard. 523 segments were evaluated in 28 patients (11 male, mean age: 71 ± 9 years). Median and interquartile range of subjective image quality parameters for QISS MRA were significantly better compared to CO2 DSA for all regions: (aortoiliac: 4 [4–5] vs. 3 [3–4]; femoropopliteal: 4 [4–5] vs. 4 [3–4]; tibioperoneal: 4 [3–5] vs. 3 [2–3]; all regions: 4 [4–5] vs. 3 [3–4], all p < 0.001). QISS MRA out-performed CO2 DSA regarding interpretability (98.3% vs. 86.0%, p < 0.001). Diagnostic accuracy parameters of QISS MRA for the detection of obstructive luminal stenosis (70%<) as compared to CO2 DSA were as follows: sensitivity 82.6%, specificity 96.9%, positive predictive value 89.1%, negative predictive value 94.8%. Regarding the degree of stenosis, interobserver variability for all regions was 0.97 for QISS MRA and 0.82 for CO2 DSA. QISS MRA proved to be superior to CO2 DSA regarding subjective image quality and interpretability for the imaging of chronic lower extremity PAD.

Background/Objectives: Common femoral endarterectomy (CFE) is one of the most frequent open arterial surgical procedures. The ideal material to close the arteriotomy is equivocal. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bovine pericardium patch (BPP) utilization in femoral artery bifurcation endarterectomy (FE). Methods: A single-center, retrospective study was conducted, involving 200 consecutive FE procedures performed between November 2019 and December 2022. Clinical data, including demographics, comorbidities, surgical details, and outcomes, were collected from institutional records. The primary endpoints were overall survival, reintervention-free survival, and amputation-free survival. Secondary endpoints included the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) and its associated risk factors. Logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of SSI, adjusting for confounders such as age, smoking, comorbidities, and bacterial colonization. Results: The median age of the cohort was 68 (SD ± 9.70) years, and 66% were male. The median follow-up period was 1010 (SD ± 471.47) days. Thirty-day survival was 91%, and 2 year survival was 69.3%, with cardiovascular events and cancer being the leading causes of death. Reintervention-free survival was 94.7% at 30 days and 77.5% at 2 years, while amputation-free survival was 94.3% at 30 days and 87.4% at 2 years. SSI requiring surgery occurred in 16% of patients, with a higher risk observed in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) compared to those with claudication. The presence of pathogens such as MRSA, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (OR 16.1, p < 0.001) was significantly associated with SSI. Previous groin surgery did not affect SSI incidence. Conclusions: BPP utilization in FE provides favorable patency and survival outcomes, even in a high-risk patient population with significant comorbidities. CLI and bacterial colonization increased the risk of SSI. Perioperative infection prevention strategies and management of systemic comorbidities are essential to improve patient outcomes.