Hot topics in interventional cardiology: Proceedings from the society for cardiovascular angiography and interventions (SCAI) 2021 think tank.

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) Think Tank is a collaborative venture that brings together interventional cardiologists, administrative partners, and select members of the cardiovascular industry community annually for high-level field-wide discussions. The 2021 Think Tank was organized into four parallel sessions reflective of the field of interventional cardiology: (a) coronary intervention, (b) endovascular medicine, (c) structural heart disease, and (d) congenital heart disease. Each session was moderated by a senior content expert and co-moderated by a member of SCAI's Emerging Leader Mentorship program. This document presents the proceedings to the wider cardiovascular community in order to enhance participation in this discussion, create additional dialog from a broader base, and thereby aid SCAI, the industry community and external stakeholders in developing specific action items to move these areas forward.

Clinical Outcomes Before and After Complete Everolimus-Eluting Bioresorbable Scaffold Resorption: Five-Year Follow-Up From the ABSORB III Trial.

BACKGROUND: The Absorb everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) provides early drug delivery and mechanical support similar to those of metallic drug-eluting stents, followed by complete resorption in ≈3 years with recovery of vascular structure and function. The ABSORB III trial demonstrated noninferior rates of target lesion failure (cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization) at 1 year with BVS compared with cobalt chromium everolimus-eluting stents. Between 1 and 3 years and cumulative to 3 years, adverse event rates (particularly target vessel myocardial infarction and scaffold thrombosis) were increased after BVS. We sought to assess clinical outcomes after BVS through 5 years, including beyond the 3-year time point of complete scaffold resorption. METHODS: Clinical outcomes from ABSORB III were analyzed by randomized device (intention to treat) cumulative to 5 years and between 3 and 5 years. RESULTS: Rates of target lesion failure, target vessel myocardial infarction, and scaffold thrombosis were increased through the 5-year follow-up with BVS compared with everolimus-eluting stents. However, between 3 and 5 years, reductions in the relative hazards of the BVS compared with everolimus-eluting stents were observed, particularly for target lesion failure (hazard ratio, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.55-1.24] versus 1.35 [95% CI, 1.02-1.78]; Pint=0.052) and scaffold thrombosis (hazard ratio, 0.26 [95% CI, 0.02-2.87] versus 3.23 [95% CI, 1.25-8.30]; Pint=0.056) compared with the 0- to 3-year time period. CONCLUSIONS: In the ABSORB III trial, cumulative 5-year adverse event rates were increased after BVS compared with everolimus-eluting stents. However, the period of excess risk for BVS ended at 3 years, coincident with complete scaffold resorption. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01751906.

Hot topics in interventional cardiology: Proceedings from the society for cardiovascular angiography and interventions 2020 think tank.

The society for cardiovascular angiography and interventions (SCAI) think tank is a collaborative venture that brings together interventional cardiologists, administrative partners, and select members of the cardiovascular industry community for high-level field-wide discussions. The 2020 think tank was organized into four parallel sessions reflective of the field of interventional cardiology: (a) coronary intervention, (b) endovascular medicine, (c) structural heart disease, and (d) congenital heart disease (CHD). Each session was moderated by a senior content expert and co-moderated by a member of SCAI's emerging leader mentorship program. This document presents the proceedings to the wider cardiovascular community in order to enhance participation in this discussion, create additional dialogue from a broader base, and thereby aid SCAI and the industry community in developing specific action items to move these areas forward.

Everolimus-Eluting Bioresorbable Scaffolds for Coronary Artery Disease.

BACKGROUND: In patients with coronary artery disease who receive metallic drug-eluting coronary stents, adverse events such as late target-lesion failure may be related in part to the persistent presence of the metallic stent frame in the coronary-vessel wall. Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds have been developed to attempt to improve long-term outcomes. METHODS: In this large, multicenter, randomized trial, 2008 patients with stable or unstable angina were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive an everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular (Absorb) scaffold (1322 patients) or an everolimus-eluting cobalt-chromium (Xience) stent (686 patients). The primary end point, which was tested for both noninferiority (margin, 4.5 percentage points for the risk difference) and superiority, was target-lesion failure (cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven target-lesion revascularization) at 1 year. RESULTS: Target-lesion failure at 1 year occurred in 7.8% of patients in the Absorb group and in 6.1% of patients in the Xience group (difference, 1.7 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, -0.5 to 3.9; P=0.007 for noninferiority and P=0.16 for superiority). There was no significant difference between the Absorb group and the Xience group in rates of cardiac death (0.6% and 0.1%, respectively; P=0.29), target-vessel myocardial infarction (6.0% and 4.6%, respectively; P=0.18), or ischemia-driven target-lesion revascularization (3.0% and 2.5%, respectively; P=0.50). Device thrombosis within 1 year occurred in 1.5% of patients in the Absorb group and in 0.7% of patients in the Xience group (P=0.13). CONCLUSIONS: In this large-scale, randomized trial, treatment of noncomplex obstructive coronary artery disease with an everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold, as compared with an everolimus-eluting cobalt-chromium stent, was within the prespecified margin for noninferiority with respect to target-lesion failure at 1 year. (Funded by Abbott Vascular; ABSORB III ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01751906.).

Performance of the resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent in small vessels.

BACKGROUND: Drug eluting stents for the treatment of small vessel coronary artery disease have traditionally yielded inferior clinical outcomes compared to the use of DES in large vessels. The benefit of the second-generation Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent (R-ZES) in small vessels was examined. METHODS: Two-year clinical outcomes from five combined R-ZES studies were compared between patients with small (reference vessel diameter [RVD] ≤2.5 mm; n = 1,956) and large (RVD >2.5 mm; n = 3174) vessels. RESULTS: Despite a higher incidence of comorbidities in the small vessel group, there was no significant difference in target lesion failure (TLF) (10.1% vs. 8.7%; P = 0.54) at 2 years. When the subgroup of patients with diabetes was examined (n = 1,553) there was no significant difference in 2-year TLF in small compared to large vessels (11.2% vs. 11.1%; P = 0.17). Similarly, within the small vessel cohort, no significant difference was seen regarding TLF at 2 years between people with and without diabetes (11.2% vs 9.6%; P = 0.28). CONCLUSION: When used for the treatment of small vessels, the R-ZES appears to provide acceptable clinical results at 2 years when compared to its performance in large vessels.

Two-year results from Onyx ONE clear in patients with high bleeding risk on one-month DAPT with and without intracoronary imaging.

BACKGROUND: Patients with high bleeding risk (HBR) are often treated with abbreviated dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to reduce bleeding risk, however this strategy is associated with an increase in ischemic events, especially if the acute PCI result is suboptimal. We compared clinical outcomes among patients with HBR treated with 1-month DAPT who underwent intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)- or optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided PCI versus those who underwent angiography-guided PCI without intravascular imaging. METHODS: The Onyx ONE Clear study includes patients with HBR from the Onyx ONE US/Japan and Onyx ONE randomized studies who were treated with the Resolute Onyx zotarolimus-eluting stent. The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiac death (CD) or myocardial infarction (MI) between 1 month and 2 years after PCI. Propensity-score adjustments and matching were performed for differences in baseline and procedural characteristics between groups. RESULTS: Among the 1507 patients in Onyx ONE Clear, 271 (18.0 %) had IVUS or OCT used during PCI (Imaging-guided group) and 1236 (82.0 %) underwent Angiography-guided PCI (Angio-guided group). Imaging-guided patients were less likely to present with atrial fibrillation, acute coronary syndrome, and left ventricle ejection fraction ≤35 %. Conversely, Imaging-guided patients were more likely to have complex (ACC/AHA type B2/C), longer, and heavily calcified lesions. Between 1 month and 2 years, the composite rate of CD or MI was similar between Imaging-guided and Angio-guided patients (9.9 % vs. 12.4 %, P = 0.33). There was also no difference between groups after adjustment; (P = 0.56). However, CD was significantly lower among Imaging-guided patients (2.7 % vs. 6.1 %, P = 0.048). There were no between-group differences in MI or stent thrombosis. Propensity score matching results were similar. CONCLUSION: Despite higher lesion complexity, using intravascular imaging guidance for PCI between 1-month and 2-years follow-up had comparable outcomes with angiographic guidance alone in patients with HBR treated with 1-month DAPT. (ClinicalTrials.gov: Identifier: NCT03647475 and NCT03344653). NON-STANDARD ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS: BARC: Bleeding Academic Research Consortium; DAPT: dual antiplatelet therapy; DES: drug-eluting stent; HBR: high bleeding risk; IVUS: intravascular ultrasound; OCT: optical coherence tomography; SAPT: single antiplatelet therapy.

Everolimus-eluting versus paclitaxel-eluting stents in coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have established the superiority of coronary everolimus-eluting stents over paclitaxel-eluting stents with respect to angiographic findings. However, these trials were not powered for superiority in clinical end points. METHODS: We randomly assigned 3687 patients at 66 U.S. sites to receive everolimus-eluting stents or paclitaxel-eluting stents without routine follow-up angiography. The primary end point was the 1-year composite rate of target-lesion failure (defined as cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven target-lesion revascularization). RESULTS: Everolimus-eluting stents were superior to paclitaxel-eluting stents with respect to the primary end point of target-lesion failure (4.2% vs. 6.8%; relative risk, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.46 to 0.82; P=0.001). Everolimus-eluting stents were also superior with respect to the major secondary end point of the 1-year rate of ischemia-driven target-lesion revascularization (P=0.001) and were noninferior with respect to the major secondary end point of the 1-year composite rate of cardiac death or target-vessel myocardial infarction (P<0.001 for noninferiority; P=0.09 for superiority). The 1-year rates of myocardial infarction and stent thrombosis were also lower with everolimus-eluting stents than with paclitaxel-eluting stents (1.9% vs. 3.1%, P=0.02 for myocardial infarction; 0.17% vs. 0.85%, P=0.004 for stent thrombosis). Target-lesion failure was consistently reduced with everolimus-eluting stents as compared with paclitaxel-eluting stents in 12 prespecified subgroups, except in the subgroup of patients with diabetes (6.4% vs. 6.9%, P=0.80). CONCLUSIONS: Everolimus-eluting stents, as compared with paclitaxel-eluting stents, resulted in reduced rates of target-lesion failure at 1 year, results that were consistent in all patients except those with diabetes, in whom the results were nonsignificantly different. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00307047.)

Everolimus-eluting stents in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: final 3-year results of the Clinical Evaluation of the XIENCE V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System in the Treatment of Subjects With de Novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions trial.

OBJECTIVES: We compared the outcomes of patients treated with everolimus-eluting stents (EES) versus paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) at 3 years from the large-scale randomized SPIRIT IV trial. BACKGROUND: SPIRIT IV is the largest randomized trial comparing the outcomes of EES and PES. The present report represents the final long-term follow-up analysis from this study. METHODS: A total of 3,687 patients were randomized 2:1 to EES or PES, stratified by presence of diabetes mellitus and lesion characteristics. Prespecified subgroups were compared for interaction with stent allocation. The primary end point was target lesion failure (TLF) (the composite of cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction [MI], or ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization). RESULTS: At 3 years, TLF occurred in 9.2% versus 11.7% of EES- and PES-treated patients (hazard ratio [HR] 0.78 [0.63-0.97], P = .02). The incidence of death or MI was 5.9% versus 9.1%, respectively (HR 0.67 [0.52-0.85], P = .001), and there was a 64% reduction in stent thrombosis (Academic Research Consortium definite or probable definition) with EES (0.59% vs 1.60%, HR 0.36 [0.18-0.72], P = .003). The difference in target lesion revascularization at 3 years did not reach statistical significance (6.2% vs 7.8%, respectively, HR 0.78 [0.60-1.01], P = .06). There was no significant interaction between treatment allocation and any of the subgroups, including diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: When compared with PES, EES provides durable and significant reduction in TLF, especially due to its enhanced safety profile, with lower rates of death or MI and stent thrombosis up to 3 years.

Three-Year Outcomes After Bifurcation Stenting With Zotarolimus-Eluting Stents: Final Results From the RESOLUTE ONYX Postapproval Study.

Background: Bifurcation represents a challenging lesion subset for percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods: In this prospective study of the Resolute Onyx zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES), patients with a single bifurcation target lesion who underwent planned treatment using a provisional stenting technique were enrolled at 25 centers in the United States and Europe. The primary end point was target-vessel failure (TVF) at 1 year, and follow-up was performed through 3 years. Results: A total of 205 patients were enrolled. Mean age was 66.6 ± 10.7 years, 21.5% of patients were female, and diabetes mellitus was present in 30.2%. A provisional approach with a single stent was performed in 96.6% of patients. The rate of TVF at 1 year was 7.4%, fulfilling the prespecified performance criterion (upper 1-sided 95% CI of 11.1%, compared with the performance goal of 24.5%). At 3-year follow-up, the rate of TVF was 12.1%, the rate of clinically driven target-lesion revascularization was 6.0%, and there were no episodes of stent thrombosis related to the target lesion. Event rates were consistent among the cohort of patients with angiographic core laboratory-confirmed bifurcation lesions. Conclusions: In this prospective, multicenter study, bifurcation lesion treatment with Resolute Onyx ZES using a planned provisional stent approach was associated with favorable clinical outcomes through 3 years. These results support the longer-term safety and effectiveness of Resolute Onyx ZES to treat bifurcation lesions that are amenable to a planned provisional stenting technique.

Case Report: Use of Percutaneous Coronary Revascularization to Temporarily Stabilize a Patient With Streptococcus Viridans Bioprosthetic Aortic Valve Endocarditis Resulting in Non-Embolic Left Main Coronary Artery Obstruction.

A patient with a bio-prosthetic aortic valve streptococcus viridans bacterial endocarditis (SBE) presented with acute massive myocardial ischemia caused from a vegetation adherent to and extending from the valve and growing into the left main (LM) and left circumflex coronary (LCX) coronary arteries. Immediate salvage PCI of the LM and LCX was performed with initial stabilization of the patient.

2-Year Outcomes After Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Low-Risk Patients.

BACKGROUND: The Evolut Low Risk Trial (Medtronic Evolut Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Low Risk Patients) showed that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a supra-annular, self-expanding valve was noninferior to surgery for the primary endpoint of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke at 2 years. This finding was based on a Bayesian analysis performed after 850 patients had reached 1 year of follow-up. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to report the full 2-year clinical and echocardiographic outcomes for patients enrolled in the Evolut Low Risk Trial. METHODS: A total of 1,414 low-surgical risk patients with severe aortic stenosis were randomized to receive TAVR or surgical AVR. An independent clinical events committee adjudicated adverse events, and a central echocardiographic core laboratory assessed hemodynamic endpoints. RESULTS: An attempted implant was performed in 730 TAVR and 684 surgical patients from March 2016 to May 2019. The Kaplan-Meier rates for the complete 2-year primary endpoint of death or disabling stroke were 4.3% in the TAVR group and 6.3% in the surgery group (P = 0.084). These rates were comparable to the interim Bayesian rates of 5.3% with TAVR and 6.7% with surgery (difference: -1.4%; 95% Bayesian credible interval: -4.9% to 2.1%). All-cause mortality rates were 3.5% vs 4.4% (P = 0.366), and disabling stroke rates were 1.5% vs 2.7% (P = 0.119), respectively. Between years 1 and 2, there was no convergence of the primary outcome curves. CONCLUSIONS: The complete 2-year follow-up from the Evolut Low Risk Trial found that TAVR is noninferior to surgery for the primary endpoint of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke, with event rates that were slightly better than those predicted by using the Bayesian analysis. (Medtronic Evolut Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Low Risk Patients [Evolut Low Risk Trial]; NCT02701283).

Transradial arterial access for coronary and peripheral procedures: executive summary by the Transradial Committee of the SCAI.

In response to growing U.S. interest, the Society for Coronary Angiography and Interventions recently formed a Transradial Committee whose purpose is to examine the utility, utilization, and training considerations related to transradial access for percutaneous coronary and peripheral procedures. With international partnership, the committee has composed a comprehensive overview of this subject presented here-with.

Randomized comparison of everolimus-eluting and paclitaxel-eluting stents: two-year clinical follow-up from the Clinical Evaluation of the Xience V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System in the Treatment of Patients with de novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions (SPIRIT) III trial.

BACKGROUND: In the prospective randomized Clinical Evaluation of the Xience V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System in the Treatment of Patients with de novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions (SPIRIT) III trial, an everolimus-eluting stent (EES) compared with a widely used paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) resulted in a statistically significant reduction in angiographic in-segment late loss at 8 months and noninferior rates of target vessel failure (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization) at 1 year. The safety and efficacy of EES after 1 year have not been reported. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 1002 patients with up to 2 de novo native coronary artery lesions (reference vessel diameter, 2.5 to 3.75 mm; lesion length < or =28 mm) were randomized 2:1 to EES versus PES. Antiplatelet therapy consisted of aspirin indefinitely and a thienopyridine for > or =6 months. Between 1 and 2 years, patients treated with EES compared with PES tended to have fewer episodes of protocol-defined stent thrombosis (0.2% versus 1.0%; P=0.10) and myocardial infarctions (0.5% versus 1.7%; P=0.12), with similar rates of cardiac death (0.3% versus 0.3%; P=1.0) and target vessel revascularization (2.9% versus 3.0%; P=1.0). As a result, at the completion of the 2-year follow-up, treatment with EES compared with PES resulted in a significant 32% reduction in target vessel failure (10.7% versus 15.4%; hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.48 to 0.98; P=0.04) and a 45% reduction in major adverse cardiac events (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target lesion revascularization; 7.3% versus 12.8%; hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.36 to 0.83; P=0.004). Among the 360 patients who discontinued clopidogrel or ticlopidine after 6 months, stent thrombosis subsequently developed in 0.4% of EES patients versus 2.6% of PES patients (P=0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with EES rather than PES experienced significantly improved event-free survival at a 2-year follow-up in the SPIRIT III trial, with continued divergence of the hazard curves for target vessel failure and major adverse cardiac events between 1 and 2 years evident. The encouraging trends toward fewer stent thrombosis episodes after 6 months in EES-treated patients who discontinued a thienopyridine and after 1 year in all patients treated with EES rather than PES deserve further study.

One-Month Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Zotarolimus-Eluting Stents in High-Bleeding-Risk Patients.

BACKGROUND: Despite treatment guidance endorsing shortened dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration in high bleeding risk (HBR) patients after drug-eluting stents, limited evidence exists to support these recommendations. The present study was designed to examine the safety and effectiveness of 1-month DAPT duration following percutaneous coronary intervention with zotarolimus-eluting stents in HBR patients. METHODS: Onyx ONE Clear was a prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized study evaluating the safety and effectiveness of 1-month DAPT followed by single antiplatelet therapy in HBR patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with Resolute Onyx drug-eluting stents. The primary analysis of cardiac death or myocardial infarction between 1 month and 1 year was performed in the prespecified one-month clear population of patients pooled from the Onyx ONE US/Japan study and Onyx ONE randomized controlled trial. One-month clear was defined as DAPT adherence and without major adverse events during the first month following percutaneous coronary intervention. RESULTS: Among patients enrolled in Onyx ONE US/Japan (n=752) and Onyx ONE randomized controlled trial (n=1018), 1506 patients fulfilled one-month clear criteria. Mean HBR characteristics per patient was 1.6 with 44.7% having multiple risks. By 2 months and 1 year, respectively, 96.9% and 89.3% of patients were taking single antiplatelet therapy. Between 1 month and 1 year, the rate of the primary end point was 7.0%. The 1-sided upper 97.5% CI was 8.4%, less than the performance goal of 9.7% (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among HBR patients who were event free before DAPT discontinuation at 1 month, favorable safety and effectiveness through 1 year support treatment with Resolute Onyx drug-eluting stents as part of an individualized strategy for shortened DAPT duration following percutaneous coronary intervention. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier NCT03647475.

Clinical, procedural, and pharmacologic correlates of acute and subacute stent thrombosis: results of a multicenter case-control study with 145 thrombosis events.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine correlates of acute/subacute coronary stent thrombosis among unselected patients treated in the era of routine dual antiplatelet therapy and specifically to investigate the influence of prophylactic administration of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GpIIb-IIIa) inhibitors and use of clopidogrel versus ticlopidine on the development of coronary stent thrombosis (ST). BACKGROUND: Because of a relative infrequency of ST events and relatively uniform practice patterns within randomized trials, previous studies have had a limited ability to address whether the use of different antiplatelet regimens at the time of coronary stenting is associated with differences in ST. METHODS: We performed a multicenter, case-control study to evaluate clinical, angiographic, and pharmacologic/procedural correlates of ST. Between 1996 and 2000, all cases of angiographically-confirmed ST (n = 145) among patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy were identified from 10 participating clinical sites and were matched with a control without ST randomly selected from the same institution. RESULTS: Multivariable conditional logistic regression identified higher pre-procedure platelet count, stenting for acute myocardial infarction, use of a coil or self-expanding stent, and overt angiographic thrombus prior to the procedure, as independent predictors of ST (all P < .05). After adjusting for these factors, the use of clopidogrel (vs ticlopidine) was independently associated with an increased risk of ST (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.0-4.1, P = .04). The use of prophylactic glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors was not associated with reduced ST in the overall analysis, but appeared to confer some protection against ST within the first 24 hours post procedure (OR 0.5 [95% CI 0.2-1.1] for ST during first day, OR 1.7 [95% CI 0.7-4.3] for ST on subsequent days). CONCLUSION: Both biologic and pharmacologic factors are independently associated with acute/subacute ST. The association between clopidogrel use (vs ticlopidine) and increased ST in this analysis requires confirmation in adequately powered clinical trials and suggests a potential role for newer and more potent antiplatelet agents.

High-frequency vibration for the recanalization of guidewire refractory chronic total coronary occlusions.

BACKGROUND: Recanalization of coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs) remains a clinical challenge, particularly when standard guidewire attempts fail. OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the safety and efficacy of a novel method that used high-frequency (20 kHz) vibration to fragment occlusive fibrous tissue and facilitate guidewire crossing into the distal vessel. METHODS: A total of 125 patients with CTO, who failed at attempts of conventional guidewire recanalization after more than 5 min of fluoroscopy time, were enrolled in the study. The primary efficacy endpoint was the advancement of the CROSSER catheter through the occlusion and attainment of coronary guidewire positioning in the distal coronary lumen. The primary safety endpoint was the occurrence of death, myocardial infarction, clinical perforation, or target vessel revascularization within the first 30 days. RESULTS: The average fluoroscopy time while delivering the CROSSER catheter was 12.4 min. CROSSER-assisted guidewire recanalization was achieved in 76 (60.8%) procedures and a final diameter stenosis <50% was obtained in 68 (54.4%) of cases. Major adverse events occurred in 11 (8.8%) patients, lower than the predefined objective performance criteria. Angina frequency and quality of life were improved in patients with successful guidewire recanalization. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that high-frequency vibration using the CROSSER catheter is a safe and effective therapy for patients with CTO, which are refractory to standard guidewire recanalization.

A polymer-based, paclitaxel-eluting stent in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Restenosis after coronary stenting necessitates repeated percutaneous or surgical revascularization procedures. The delivery of paclitaxel to the site of vascular injury may reduce the incidence of neointimal hyperplasia and restenosis. METHODS: At 73 U.S. centers, we enrolled 1314 patients who were receiving a stent in a single, previously untreated coronary-artery stenosis (vessel diameter, 2.5 to 3.75 mm; lesion length, 10 to 28 mm) in a prospective, randomized, double-blind study. A total of 652 patients were randomly assigned to receive a bare-metal stent, and 662 to receive an identical-appearing, slow-release, polymer-based, paclitaxel-eluting stent. Angiographic follow-up was prespecified at nine months in 732 patients. RESULTS: In terms of base-line characteristics, the two groups were well matched. Diabetes mellitus was present in 24.2 percent of patients; the mean reference-vessel diameter was 2.75 mm, and the mean lesion length was 13.4 mm. A mean of 1.08 stents (length, 21.8 mm) were implanted per patient. The rate of ischemia-driven target-vessel revascularization at nine months was reduced from 12.0 percent with the implantation of a bare-metal stent to 4.7 percent with the implantation of a paclitaxel-eluting stent (relative risk, 0.39; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.26 to 0.59; P<0.001). Target-lesion revascularization was required in 3.0 percent of the group that received a paclitaxel-eluting stent, as compared with 11.3 percent of the group that received a bare-metal stent (relative risk, 0.27; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.16 to 0.43; P<0.001). The rate of angiographic restenosis was reduced from 26.6 percent to 7.9 percent with the paclitaxel-eluting stent (relative risk, 0.30; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.19 to 0.46; P<0.001). The nine-month composite rates of death from cardiac causes or myocardial infarction (4.7 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively) and stent thrombosis (0.6 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively) were similar in the group that received a paclitaxel-eluting stent and the group that received a bare-metal stent. CONCLUSIONS: As compared with bare-metal stents, the slow-release, polymer-based, paclitaxel-eluting stent is safe and markedly reduces the rates of clinical and angiographic restenosis at nine months.