Puncture Versus Surgical Cutdown Complications of Transfemoral Aortic Valve Implantation (from the Spanish TAVI Registry).

Vascular complications in transcatheter aortic valve implantation using transfemoral approach are related to higher mortality. Complete percutaneous approach is currently the preferred technique for vascular access. However, some centers still perform surgical cutdown. Our purpose was to determine complications related to vascular access technique in the population of the Spanish TAVI National Registry. From January 2010 to July 2015, 3,046 patients were included in this Registry. Of them, 2,465 underwent transfemoral approach and were treated with either surgical cutdown and closure (cutdown group, n = 632) or percutaneous approach (puncture group, n = 1,833). Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 definitions were used to assess vascular and bleeding complications. Propensity matching resulted in 615 matched pairs. Overall, 30-day vascular complications were significantly higher in the puncture group (109 [18%] vs 42 [6.9%]; relative risk [RR] 2.60; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.85 to 3.64, p <0.001) due mostly by minor vascular events (89 [15%] vs 25 [4.1%], RR 3.56, 95% CI 2.32 to 5.47, p <0.001). Bleeding rates were lower in the puncture group (18 [3%] vs 40 [6.6%], RR 0.45, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.78, p = 0.003) mainly driven by major bleeding (9 [1.5%] vs 21 [3.4%], RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.93, p = 0.03). At a mean follow-up of 323 days, complication rates remained significantly different between groups (minor vascular complications 90 [15%] vs 31 [5.1%], hazard ratio 2.99, 95% CI 1.99 to 4.50, p <0.001 and major bleeding 10 [1.6%] vs 21 [3.4%], hazard ratio 0.47, 95% CI 0.22 to 1.0, p = 0.04, puncture versus cutdown group, respectively). In conclusion, percutaneous approach yielded higher rates of minor vascular complications but lower rates of major bleeding compared with the surgical cutdown, both at 30-day and at mid-term follow-up in our population.

Recurrent intraventricular thrombus six months after ST-elevation myocardial infarction in a diabetic man: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention with placement of a drug-eluting stent in a diabetic patient with ST-elevation myocardial infarction is a relatively common procedure, and always requires subsequent treatment with dual antiplatelet therapy. It is sometimes necessary to add oral anticoagulation therapy because of individual clinical circumstances, which further increases the risk of bleeding. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old hypertensive diabetic man with a history of gastrointestinal bleeding was admitted with an ST-elevation inferior myocardial infarction that had been evolving over 72 h. Electrocardiography showed ST segment elevation in the inferior leads and Q waves in the inferior and anterior leads. He reported a similar episode of chest pain 1 month previously, for which he had not sought medical treatment. Coronary angiography showed chronic occlusion of the mid-left anterior descending coronary artery, and acute occlusion of the mid-right coronary artery. He was treated by percutaneous coronary intervention, with placement of a drug-eluting stent in the right coronary artery. Soon after admission, transthoracic echocardiography showed abnormal left ventricular contractility and a large left intraventricular thrombus. Three weeks after admission, the patient was discharged on dual antiplatelet therapy (clopidogrel and aspirin) and oral anticoagulation therapy (acenocoumarol). Four months after discharge, transthoracic echocardiography showed absence of left ventricular thrombus and resolution of the abnormal contractility in the area supplied by the revascularized right coronary artery. Given the high risk of bleeding, oral anticoagulation therapy was stopped. Six months later, transthoracic echocardiography showed recurrent left ventricular apical thrombus, and an underlying hypercoagulable state was ruled out. Oral anticoagulation therapy was restarted on an indefinite basis, and dual antiplatelet therapy was continued. CONCLUSIONS: The present case illustrates the need for repeat transthoracic echocardiography following the withdrawal of oral anticoagulation therapy in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, both to monitor thrombus status and to assess left ventricular segmental contraction. In patients who require anticoagulation, avoidance of a drug-eluting stent is strongly preferred and second-generation stents are recommended. The alternative regimen of oral anticoagulation and clopidogrel may be considered in this scenario. In patients with recurrent intraventricular thrombus an underlying hypercoagulable state should be ruled out.