Practice differences and knowledge gaps in complex and high-risk interventions between Japan and the USA: A case-based discussion.

Advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) devices and techniques have expanded the pool of eligible patients for revascularization, including those with comorbidities, reduced left ventricular function, or anatomical complexity (defined as CHIP: complex and high-risk interventions in indicated patients). CHIP interventions are typically performed by selected operators who specialize in complex PCI. This review presents two cases performed in the USA, to discuss the similarities and differences in practice patterns between CHIP operators in Japan and the USA. The first case involves a 58-year-old male presenting with myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock, and the second case involves a 51-year-old female with a history of coronary artery bypass grafting presenting with a chronic total occlusion and PCI complicated by vessel perforation. The discussion focuses on appropriate patient selection, the role of the heart team approach for decision-making, the use of hemodynamic support devices, and other relevant factors. By comparing practices in Japan and the USA, this review highlights opportunities for knowledge exchange and potential areas for improving patient outcomes.

Venous Thromboembolism in Japanese Patients with Gynecologic Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Gynecologic cancer, including cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancer, comprises the fifth leading type of cancer and is an important malignant disease in women. Previous studies in Western countries have reported respective prevalence rates for venous thromboembolism (VTE) of 3.3%-18.7%, 0.8%-8.1%, and 7.2%-20.9%. In this study, we aimed to identify the characteristics associated with VTE in Japanese patients. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective cohort study to compare the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with each gynecologic cancer with and without concomitant VTE. Patients: Patients with cervical, endometrial, or ovarian cancer treated at Fukui Prefectural Hospital, Japan, from April 2010 to March 2020. RESULTS: Among 699 patients with gynecologic cancer, 50 developed VTE within 5 years after their cancer diagnosis, including 16/357 patients with cervical cancer (5.6%), 12/185 with endometrial cancer (6.8%), and 22/157 with ovarian cancer (14.6%). The 1-year mortality rate after symptomatic VTE onset was 47.8%. The VTE group included significantly more older patients and more patients with advanced cancer or poor performance status compared with the non-VTE group. There was no significant difference in the rate of surgical treatment. Symptomatic, but not asymptomatic VTE, was associated with shorter survival. CONCLUSION: Several baseline characteristics differed between patients with and without VTE. The incidences of VTE and some risk factors were similar in Japanese patients with gynecologic cancers compared with patients in other countries. Patients with VTE had some factors that worsened their prognosis, with patients with gynecologic cancer and symptomatic VTE having an especially poor prognosis.

Intraoperative angiography for visceral arteries originating from false lumen.

A 70-year-old man had an acute type B aortic dissection 9 years before his admission. The last enhanced computed tomography that was performed revealed an aneurysm that extended from the ascending aorta to the aortic arch, associated with a chronic aortic dissection, which extended from the aortic arch to the left external iliac artery. His visceral arteries originated from the false lumen. We performed a total arch replacement with a frozen elephant trunk in the hybrid operating room. Immediately after the circulatory arrest termination, using intraoperative angiography, we verified that the blood supply to the visceral arteries was patent.

Venous Thromboembolism in Japanese Patients With Pancreatic Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Japan. Previous studies from other countries have reported venous thromboembolism prevalence rates of 12 to 36% in patients with pancreatic cancer. In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence of VTE in patients with PDAC in Japan and compare the characteristics of patients with and without VTE. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, clinicopathological characteristics of patients with and without concomitant VTE were compared. PATIENTS: Patients with PDAC treated at Fukui Prefectural Hospital, Japan from 2010 to 2019. RESULTS: The 1-year survival rate of all patients with pancreatic cancer was 40.7%. Among 432 patients with PDAC, 31 developed VTE. Seventeen (55%) patients received anticoagulant therapy. Compared with the non-VTE group, the VTE group had significantly more patients whose body mass index was >25 kg/m² (p = .035) and had a significantly higher rate of chemotherapy (p = .024). There was no significant difference in median survival time from PDAC diagnosis between the VTE and non-VTE groups. The 6-month mortality rate after VTE diagnosis was 54.8%. PDAC-related death was the most frequent cause of death, and thrombus-related death was not observed. CONCLUSION: Several baseline characteristics differed between patients with and without VTE. The incidence of VTE in patients with PDAC is high. However, because the prognosis of PDAC itself remains quite poor, VTE may not have a significant effect on prognosis.

Safety of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Chronic Total Occlusion in Patients With Multi-Vesel Disease: Sub-Analysis of the Japanese Retrograde Summit Registry.

BACKGROUND: The success rate of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) has gradually increased thanks to the continuous development of devices and techniques. However, the impact of multi-vessel disease (MVD) on its success rate and safety is not well known. METHODS: The clinical records of 5009 patients enrolled in the Japanese Retrograde Summit Registry and who had undergone PCI for CTO at 65 centers between 2012 and 2015 were reviewed. We compared the outcome for patients with and without MVD. RESULTS: Two thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight patients (59%) had MVD. Although there was no significant difference in the J-CTO score between the two groups [MVD group 1.51 ± 1.07 vs. SVD group 1.48 ± 1.07, p = 0.48], the procedural success rate of CTO-PCI in the MVD group was significantly lower than that in the SVD group (87.2% vs. 90.2%, p = 0.001). However, occurrence of procedure-related adverse events (4% vs. 5%, p = 0.11), total fluoroscopy (70 ± 45 min vs. 69 ± 50 min, p = 0.75) and procedural time (154 ± 86 min vs. 151 ± 89 min, p = 0.36), and total amount of contrast media (219 ± 102 mL vs. 222 ± 105 mL, p = 0.33) did not differ between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although MVD had an impact on the success rate of CTO-PCI, it did not affect procedure-related adverse events.

Venous Thromboembolism in Patents With Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in Japan. Studies in other countries have reported a venous thromboembolism (VTE) rate of 4%-20% in cancer patients. In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence of VTE in lung cancer patients in Japan and compared the characteristics of patients with and without VTE. In this retrospective cohort study, the clinicopathological characteristics of study patients with and without concomitant VTE were compared. Patients with lung cancer treated at Fukui Prefectural Hospital, Japan from 2008 to 2017. Of the 1471 patients with lung cancer studied, 28 developed VTE. Five patients developed pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) alone, 9 PTE with concomitant deep vein thrombosis, and 14 deep vein thrombosis alone. Compared with patients in the non-VTE group, the VTE group was significantly younger (mean value ± SD 66.3 ± 10.1 vs. 73.0 ± 10.6 years, p = 0.001), contained significantly more patients with stage IIIb-IV disease (p = 0.002), and had a significantly higher rate of chemotherapy (p < 0.001) and radiation therapy (p = 0.007). There was no significant difference in median survival time from lung cancer diagnosis between the VTE and non-VTE groups. The 1-year mortality rate after VTE diagnosis was 60.7%. Lung cancer was the most frequent cause of death, followed by infection and VTE. Several baseline characteristics differed between patients with and without VTE. The prognosis may worsen after development of VTE, suggesting that lung cancer patients should be carefully monitored for it.

RenalGuard system to prevent contrast-induced acute kidney injury in Japanese patients with renal dysfunction; RESPECT KIDNEY study.

Increasing the urine flow rate (UFR) reduces the toxic effect of contrast media. Use of the RenalGuard system enables the achievement of a high UFR by maintaining intravascular volume and prevents the development of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI). However, the efficacy and safety of RenalGuard system have not yet been evaluated in Japan. This multicenter prospective study evaluated the efficacy and safety of the RenalGuard therapy in preventing CI-AKI development in 60 Japanese patients with renal dysfunction [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 45 mL/min/1.73 m2] undergoing catheter procedures. Baseline eGFR and Mehran's CIN (contrast-induced nephropathy) risk score were 35.1 ± 8.5 mL/min/1.73 m2 and 11.7 ± 4.3, respectively. Regardless of this high-risk profile, the incidence of CI-AKI was 8.6% (5/58) compared with the 26.1% incidence estimated by the CIN risk score. Moreover, two-sided 95% (Fisher's) exact confidence interval was 2.9-19.0 and its upper limit (i.e., 19.0) was less than the prespecified threshold incidence of 25.0. Univariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the UFR during catheter procedure was one of the most important factor associated with CI-AKI (odds ratio 0.99, confidence interval 0.98-1.00, p = 0.03). In conclusion, RenalGuard therapy may prevent CI-AKI development in Japanese patients with renal dysfunction. Further large-scale prospective multicenter studies are necessary to confirm our findings.

Effective kissing stent to severe stenosis of the superior mesenteric artery replacing the common hepatic artery.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular therapy (ET) for chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) is a effective treatment to relieve the symptoms, such as postprandial abdominal pain, food fear, and progressive weight loss. CMI is not known to be caused by rare anatomical variation of severe stenosis of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), with replaced the common hepatic artery to the SMA. The treatment of such a rare anatomical variation using ET technique has not been discribed. ET with kissing stent technique can be applied to the CMI accompanied with a rare anatomical variation. CASE PRESENTATION: An 80-year-old woman presented with a history of intermittent, severe epigastric pain. Over the preceding 5 months, she had less severe and self-resolving epigastric pain 15-30 min after every meal. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed severe calcification of the SMA origin and bubble-like intramural gas of the small bowel with the contrasted wall pneumoperitoneum. As the patient did not have peritonitis, a conservative approach was used. Angiography performed after symptom resolution showed severe stenosis of the SMA origin with calcification, and the SMA had replaced the common hepatic artery. ET with the kissing stent technique, namely stenting to the SMA and common hepatic artery, was successfully performed and relieved the patient's symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: CMI cause the symptoms of Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) and pneumoperitoneum. Severe stenosis of the SMA origin replacing the common hepatic artery is a rare anatomic variation, which can cause CMI symptoms. ET with a kissing stent is the effective treatment option for the mesenteric artery stenosis accompanied with such rare anatomical variation.

Anti-inflammatory effect of factor-Xa inhibitors in Japanese patients with atrial fibrillation.

Activated factor-X (FXa) plays an important role not only in the coagulation cascade, but also in pro-inflammatory responses. However, few data exist regarding the anti-inflammatory effect of FXa inhibitors in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects of FXa inhibitors in Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Eighty-three patients with NVAF were treated with FXa inhibitors from March 2013 to March 2015 at our institution. Of these, 55 patients who were not pretreated with warfarin or dabigatran (rivarixaban in 23 patients and apixaban in 32) were included in this study. We measured various inflammatory and coagulation markers at baseline and at 6 months after treatment. Plasma concentrations of pentraxin 3 (PTX3) (from 2.45 ± 1.31 to 1.97 ± 1.00 ng/mL, p = 0.0009) and fibrin and fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) D-dimer (from 1.18 ± 0.70 to 0.74 ± 0.32 µg/mL, p < 0.0001) decreased, while those of TM (from 2.9 ± 0.8 to 3.2 ± 0.9 FU/mL, p = 0.003) increased significantly at 6 months. Interestingly, change of each marker denoted the same tendency in both rivaroxaban and apixaban. In conclusion, the present study suggests that FXa inhibitors have not only an anti-coagulant effect but also anti-inflammatory effects in patients with NVAF. Further large-scale prospective study is necessary to evaluate whether changes in these markers will be associated with a lower risk for future cardiovascular events.

A case of giant saphenous vein graft aneurysm successfully treated with catheter intervention.

The patient was a 67-year-old man who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery using a saphenous vein graft (SVG) 22 years before. Computed tomography angiogram revealed a large aneurysm of the SVG (38 × 42 mm in diameter; 80-mm long) and total occlusion of the left anterior descending artery (LAD). We first performed percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion of the native LAD with bi-directional approach via the SVG. One month later, we performed the trans-catheter embolization of the SVG and occluded the SVG using multiple coils. This case demonstrates that trans-catheter embolization after recanalization of native coronary artery is an effective strategy to treat an SVG aneurysm. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 analog, on left ventricular remodeling assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

The clinical efficacy of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogs in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is uncertain. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the GLP-1 analog liraglutide on left ventricular (LV) remodeling in patients with AMI. We retrospectively evaluated the effects of liraglutide on LV remodeling assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) in 15 patients with type 2 diabetes who were successfully treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for AMI. Patients were divided into two groups based on their hypoglycemic medication: liraglutide use (group L; n = 6) or standard therapy (group S; n = 9). The CMRI findings in the early phase and at the 6-month follow-up were compared. At the 6-month follow-up, group S showed increases in LV end-diastolic (from 64 to 74 mL/m(2), p = 0.08) and end-systolic (from 38 to 45 mL/m(2), p = 0.13) volume indexes, whereas no such increase was observed in group L. The LV mass index (LVMI) was significantly smaller in group L than in group S at baseline (64 vs. 75 g/m(2), p = 0.05) and at follow-up (56 vs. 78 g/m(2), p = 0.009). Multivariate regression analysis showed that liraglutide use was an independent negative predictor of LVMI (ß = -0.720, p = 0.003). In conclusion, liraglutide may be able to prevent the progression of LV remodeling and is associated with a lower LV mass in diabetic patients with AMI undergoing primary PCI.

Frequency and predictors of bleeding complications associated with anti-coagulant therapy using dabigatran in Japanese patients with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Few data exist regarding frequency and predictors of bleeding complications associated with anticoagulant therapy using dabigatran in Japanese patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively studied 184 patients with AF who were administered dabigatran from April 2011 to August 2012 in our institution. Twenty-eight patients (15%) developed some type of bleeding complication. In the Bleeding group, age, CHADS2 and HAS-BLED score were higher (75 vs. 71 years, p=0.067, 2.7 vs. 1.9, p=0.006 and 2.3 vs. 1.8, p=0.01, respectively), hemoglobin concentration was lower (13.1 vs. 13.7 g/dL, p=0.04), casual activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) was longer (60.2 vs. 47.4 sec., p<0.0001) and frequency of aspirin use was higher (29 vs. 15%, p=0.09) than those in the Non-bleeding group. Multivariate regression analysis showed that casual APTT was an independent significant predictor of any type of bleeding complications (ß=0.431, p<0.0001). Moreover, casual APTT (ß=0.359, p=0.049), pre-existing anemia (ß=0.457, p=0.02) and aspirin use (ß=0.597, p=0.02) were significant predictors of major bleeding. ROC analysis showed that casual APTT exhibited 83.3% sensitivity and 72.5% specificity as predictors of major bleeding and its cut-off value was 54.7 sec. CONCLUSION: Casual APTT level can serve as a predictor of bleeding complications, while pre-existing anemia and aspirin use may be associated with major bleeding in patients with AF treated with dabigatran.

A case of carotid artery dissection after surgical repair of aortic dissection successfully treated with endovascular therapy using intravascular ultrasound.

A 71-year-old woman developed the dissection from right brachiocephalic trunk (BCT) to internal carotid artery 6 days after the operation of ascending aortic dissection. Since no improvement of symptoms was observed despite conservative therapy, we performed endovascular therapy (EVT). Although a balloon-expandable stent was implanted in the BCT to seal the entry point of the dissection, the true lumen of the carotid artery was still compressed. Thus, we covered the dissected lesion completely with multiple stents, and her neurological findings improved. This case demonstrates that EVT using multiple stents is an effective strategy to manage dissection of supra-aortic branches.

Elevation of urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein as predicting factor for occurrence of contrast-induced acute kidney injury and its reduction by hemodiafiltration with blood suction from right atrium.

Although contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) has a great impact on patients' prognosis, few data exist regarding predictors of CI-AKI in patients with severe renal dysfunction who have undergone contrast angiography. Therefore, we prospectively studied 25 patients with renal dysfunction, which was defined as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) level <45 ml/min/1.73 m(2), undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We performed hemodiafiltration with blood suction from the right atrium (RA-HDF). The mean level of urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) at baseline was significantly higher in the CI-AKI group than in the non-CI-AKI group (59.8 ± 45.6 vs 13.4 ± 11.9 µg/gCr, P = 0.0003). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that baseline urinary L-FABP was an independent significant predictor of CI-AKI (ß = 0.741, P = 0.013). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed that baseline urinary L-FABP exhibited 100 % sensitivity and 81.8 % specificity for predicting CI-AKI when the cutoff value was defined as 19.0 µg/gCr. Interestingly, the incidence of CI-AKI after CAG or PCI was reduced in the RA-HDF group in a comparison with 41 control patients (12 % vs 27 %) with eGFR level <45 ml/min/1.73 m(2) who underwent PCI before the introduction of RA-HDF. In conclusion, baseline L-FABP levels can be a predictor for occurrence of CI-AKI. We suggest that RA-HDF may prevent the development of CI-AKI in patients with severe renal dysfunction undergoing coronary procedures, although further large-scale prospective study is necessary to confirm our conclusions.

Direct puncture of the prosthetic bypass graft in the treatment of critical limb ischemia patient undergoing prior axillo-femoral bypass.

A 76-year-old man presented with a non-healing ischemic ulceration of the left foot. He had undergone left axillo-femoral bypass surgery 4 years previously. Diagnostic angiography showed total occlusion from the left common iliac to the common femoral artery and the anterior and posterior tibial artery as well as severe stenosis of the superficial femoral and peroneal artery. Because there were no other access sites except for the axillo-femoral bypass graft, we performed endovascular therapy (EVT) by direct puncture of this bypass graft. Here, we have described the utility of direct puncture of axillo-femoral prosthetic bypass graft for EVT of the infrainguinal arteries.

Differences in the diagnostic value of various criteria of negative T waves for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy based on a molecular genetic diagnosis.

Differences in the diagnostic value of a variety of definitions of negative T waves for HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) have not yet been clarified, resulting in a number of definitions being applied in previous studies. The aim of the present study was to determine the most accurate diagnostic definition of negative T waves for HCM in genotyped populations. Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings were analysed in 161 genotyped subjects (97 carriers and 64 non-carriers). We applied three different criteria that have been used in previous studies: Criterion 1, negative T wave >10 mm in depth in any leads; Criterion 2, negative T wave >3 mm in depth in at least two leads; and Criterion 3, negative T wave >1 mm in depth in at least two leads. Of the three criteria, Criterion 3 had the highest sensitivity (43% compared with 5 and 26% in Criterion 1 and Criterion 2 respectively; P<0.0001) and retained a specificity of 95%, resulting in the highest accuracy. In comparison with abnormal Q waves, negative T waves for Criterion 3 had a lower sensitivity in detecting carriers without LVH (left ventricular hypertrophy) (12.9% for negative T waves compared with 22.6% for abnormal Q waves). On the other hand, in detecting carriers with LVH, the sensitivity of negative T waves increased in a stepwise direction with the increasing extent of LVH (P<0.001), whereas there was less association between the sensitivity of abnormal Q waves and the extent of LVH. In conclusion, Criterion 3 for negative T waves may be the most accurate definition of HCM based on genetic diagnoses. Negative T waves may show different diagnostic value according to the different criteria and phenotypes in genotyped populations with HCM.