Vascular Surgery Practice Questions

Question 1

A 72-year-old woman comes to the physician for follow-up care. One year ago, she was diagnosed with a 3.8-cm infrarenal aortic aneurysm found incidentally on abdominal ultrasound. She has no complaints. She has hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and COPD. Current medications include hydrochlorothiazide, lisinopril, glyburide, and an albuterol inhaler. She has smoked a pack of cigarettes daily for 45 years. Her temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 90/min, respirations are 12/min, and blood pressure is 145/85 mm Hg. Examination shows a faint abdominal bruit on auscultation. Ultrasonography of the abdomen shows a 4.9-cm saccular dilation of the infrarenal aorta. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

Accepted Answer

Elective endovascular aneurysm repair

Answer

Adjustment of cardiovascular risk factors and follow-up ultrasound in 12 months

Answer

Adjustment of cardiovascular risk factors and follow-up ultrasound in 6 months

Answer

Elective open aneurysm repair

Answer

Adjustment of cardiovascular risk factors and follow-up CT in 6 months

Question 2

A 62-year-old woman with no significant past medical history presents with progressive dyspnea on exertion over the past 6 months. Echocardiogram reveals elevated pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) of 55 mmHg with normal left ventricular ejection fraction and no evidence of left-sided valvular disease. Right heart catheterization confirms mean PAP of 50 mmHg with pulmonary capillary wedge pressure of 10 mmHg. Intraoperative administration of intravenous adenosine causes the PAP to decrease to 35 mmHg. What pharmacological therapy is most likely to provide long-term benefit for this patient?

Accepted Answer

Amlodipine

Answer

Bosentan

Answer

Epoprostenol

Answer

Sildenafil

Answer

Adenosine

Question 3

A 43-year-old man comes to the physician because of increasing shortness of breath for 1 month. He has been using two pillows at night but frequently wakes up feeling as if he is choking. Five months ago, he underwent surgery for creation of an arteriovenous fistula in his left upper arm. He has hypertension and chronic kidney disease due to reflux nephropathy. He receives hemodialysis three times a week. His current medications are enalapril, vitamin D3, erythropoietin, sevelamer, and atorvastatin. His temperature is 37.1°C (98.8°F), respirations are 22/min, pulse is 103/min and bounding, and blood pressure is 106/58 mm Hg. Examination of the lower extremities shows bilateral pitting pedal edema. There is jugular venous distention. A prominent thrill is heard over the brachiocephalic arteriovenous fistula. There are crackles heard at both lung bases. Cardiac examination shows an S3 gallop. The abdomen is soft and nontender. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?

Accepted Answer

High-output heart failure

Answer

AV fistula aneurysm

Answer

Pulmonary embolism

Answer

Constrictive pericarditis

Answer

Dialysis disequilibrium syndrome

Question 4

A 69-year-old woman is admitted to the hospital with substernal, crushing chest pain. She is emergently moved to the cardiac catheterization lab where she undergoes cardiac angiography. Angiography reveals that the diameter of her left anterior descending artery (LAD) is 50% of normal. If her blood pressure, LAD length, and blood viscosity have not changed, which of the following represents the most likely change in LAD flow from baseline?

Accepted Answer

Decreased by 93.75%

Answer

Increased by 6.25%

Answer

Decreased by 25%

Answer

Decreased by 87.5%

Answer

Increased by 25%

Question 5

A 78-year-old left-handed woman with hypertension and hyperlipidemia is brought to the emergency room because of sudden-onset right leg weakness and urinary incontinence. Neurologic examination shows decreased sensation over the right thigh. Muscle strength is 2/5 in the right lower extremity and 4/5 in the right upper extremity. Strength and sensation in the face are normal but she has difficulty initiating sentences and she is unable to write her name. The most likely cause of this patient’s condition is an occlusion of which of the following vessels?

Accepted Answer

Left anterior cerebral artery

Answer

Right vertebrobasilar artery

Answer

Right middle cerebral artery

Answer

Left posterior cerebral artery

Answer

Right anterior cerebral artery

Question 6

A 54-year-old man comes to the emergency department because of severe pain in his right leg that began suddenly 3 hours ago. He has had repeated cramping in his right calf while walking for the past 4 months, but it has never been this severe. He has type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension. Current medications include insulin, enalapril, aspirin, and simvastatin. He has smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 33 years. He does not drink alcohol. His pulse is 103/min and blood pressure is 136/84 mm Hg. Femoral pulses are palpable bilaterally. The popliteal and pedal pulses are absent on the right. Laboratory studies show:
Hemoglobin 16.1 g/dL
Serum
Urea nitrogen 14 mg/dL
Glucose 166 mg/dL
Creatinine 1.5 mg/dL
A CT angiogram of the right lower extremity is ordered. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

Accepted Answer

Administer normal saline

Answer

Administer sodium bicarbonate

Answer

Administer mannitol

Answer

Remote ischemic preconditioning

Answer

Administer heparin anticoagulation

Question 7

A 68-year-old man presents to the emergency department with leg pain. He states that the pain started suddenly while he was walking outside. The patient has a past medical history of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and atrial fibrillation. His temperature is 99.3°F (37.4°C), blood pressure is 152/98 mmHg, pulse is 97/min, respirations are 15/min, and oxygen saturation is 99% on room air. Physical exam is notable for a cold and pale left leg. The patient’s sensation is markedly diminished in the left leg when compared to the right, and his muscle strength is 1/5 in his left leg. Which of the following is the best next step in management?

Accepted Answer

Heparin drip

Answer

Graded exercise and aspirin

Answer

Surgical thrombectomy

Answer

CT angiogram

Answer

Tissue plasminogen activator

Question 8

A 54-year-old man comes to the physician because of a painful mass in his left thigh for 3 days. He underwent a left lower limb angiography for femoral artery stenosis and had a stent placed 2 weeks ago. He has peripheral artery disease, coronary artery disease, hypercholesterolemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus. He has smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 34 years. Current medications include enalapril, aspirin, simvastatin, metformin, and sitagliptin. His temperature is 36.7°C (98°F), pulse is 88/min, and blood pressure is 116/72 mm Hg. Examination shows a 3-cm (1.2-in) tender, pulsatile mass in the left groin. The skin over the area of the mass shows no erythema and is cool to the touch. A loud bruit is heard on auscultation over this area. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. Results of a complete blood count and serum electrolyte concentrations show no abnormalities. Duplex ultrasonography shows an echolucent sac connected to the common femoral artery, with pulsatile and turbulent blood flow between the artery and the sac. Which of the following is the most appropriate next best step in management?

Accepted Answer

Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection

Answer

Covered stent implantation

Answer

Ultrasound-guided compression

Answer

Coil embolization

Answer

Schedule surgical repair

Question 9

A 68-year-old female presents to the emergency room with acute onset of dyspnea and hemoptysis. Her past medical history is unremarkable and she has had no prior surgeries. A ventilation-perfusion scan demonstrates a large perfusion defect that is not matched by a ventilation defect in the left lower lobe. Which of the following would you also expect to find in this patient:

Accepted Answer

Pleuritic chest pain

Answer

Bradycardia

Answer

Increased inspiratory capacity

Answer

Claudication

Answer

Aortic dilation

Question 10

A 31-year-old man presents to the Emergency Department with severe left leg pain and paresthesias 4 hours after his leg got trapped by the closing door of a bus. Initially, he had a mild pain which gradually increased to unbearable levels. Past medical history is noncontributory. In the Emergency Department, his blood pressure is 130/80 mm Hg, heart rate is 87/min, respiratory rate is 14/min, and temperature is 36.8℃ (98.2℉). On physical exam, his left calf is firm and severely tender on palpation. The patient cannot actively dorsiflex his left foot, and passive dorsiflexion is limited. Posterior tibial and dorsalis pedis pulses are 2+ in the right leg and 1+ in the left leg. Axial load does not increase the pain. Which of the following is the best next step in the management of this patient?

Accepted Answer

Fasciotomy

Answer

Lower limb CT scan

Answer

Lower limb ultrasound

Answer

Splinting and limb rest

Answer

Lower limb X-ray in two projections

Vascular Surgery

Study Resources

Lessons

Questions

Flashcards

Lessons

Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Acute limb ischemia management

Aortic dissection management

Bypass grafting techniques and materials

Carotid endarterectomy indications and technique

Compartment syndrome diagnosis and fasciotomy

Dialysis access procedures and complications

Endovascular procedures overview

Peripheral arterial disease diagnosis and management

Thoracic aortic aneurysm management

Thromboembolectomy procedures

Vascular trauma management

Venous insufficiency and varicose vein treatment

Practice Questions

Flashcards

About Vascular Surgery for USMLE

Lessons in Vascular Surgery

Master Vascular Surgery