Epicardial fat accumulation, cardiometabolic profile and cardiovascular events in patients with stages 3-5 chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesized that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) exerts pathogenic effects on cardiac structures. We analysed the associations between EAT and both cardiovascular (CV) disease risk factors and CV events in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included 277 nondialysed patients [median age 61, interquartile range (IQR) 53-68 years; 63% men] with stages 3-5 CKD in this cross-sectional evaluation. EAT and abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) were assessed by computed tomography. Patients were followed for median 32 (IQR 20-39) months, and the composite of fatal and nonfatal CV events was recorded. RESULTS: With increasing EAT quartiles, patients were older, had higher glomerular filtration rate, body mass index, waist, VAT and coronary calcification, higher levels of haemoglobin, triglycerides, albumin, C-reactive protein and leptin and higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial ischaemia; total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 25-hydroxy-vitamin D and 1, 25-dihydroxy-vitamin D progressively decreased. Associations between EAT and cardiac alterations were not independent of VAT. During follow-up, 58 CV events occurred. A 1-SD higher EAT volume was associated with an increased risk of CV events in crude [hazard ratio (HR) 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.12-1.78) and adjusted (HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.21-1.99) Cox models. However, adding EAT to a standard CV disease risk prediction model did not result in a clinically relevant improvement in prediction. CONCLUSION: Epicardial adipose tissue accumulation in patients with CKD increases the risk of CV events independent of general adiposity. This is consistent with the notion of a local pathogenic effect of EAT on the heart or heart vessels, or both. However, EAT adds negligible explanatory power to standard CV disease risk factors.

Portoumbilical anastomosis as a simple method of transient portosystemic shunt during liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: This article describes a new method of transient intraoperative portosystemic shunting, Splachnic edema after portal cross-clamping can be a dangerous complication during the anhepatic phase of the liver transplant operation. The current method seeks to avoid this problem, without the use of external venovenous bypass pump, by a temporary portocaval shunt, with retrohepatic cava preservation as first described experimentally in dogs by Fonkalsrud et al in 1966. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among 227 liver transplant operations, we utilized a transient portosystemic shunt in 29 cases. The indication to perform a temporary shunt in all cases was the development of splachnic edema. In 3 instances, we performed a portoumbilical anastomosis using a prominent umbilical vein. The other 26 procedures employed the usual portocaval shunts. In these cases, splachnic congestion and onset of edema developed after cross-clamping of the round ligament and the portal vein, which resolved after the portoumbilical anastomosis. DISCUSSION: The flow in the shunt was in all cases greater than 1 L/min. The most important risk factor for the development of splachnic edema was the presence of a patent umbilical vein, which occurred in 34.5% of shunted patients. CONCLUSION: The use of a patent umbilical vein to perform a portoumbilical shunt was an effective, easy method to decompress the splachnic area, avoiding dangerous congestion and edema.

Renoportal anastomosis as a rescue technique in postoperative portal thrombosis in liver transplantation.

Renoportal anastomosis has been used as the primary portal revascularization technique in grade 4 portal thrombosis, but never after posttransplant portal thrombosis. A cirrhotic patient with hepatocellular carcinoma and partial portal thrombosis of two-thirds of the lumen was transplanted. The thrombus was removed and good portal flow obtained upon reperfusion (2.8 L/min). On the ninth postoperative day Doppler ultrasound revealed complete portal thrombosis extending from the splenomesenteric confluence. At emergency reoperation, we removed the newly formed thrombus. Portal vein branches were flushed with heparin and urokinase. After reconstruction of the anastomosis, we achieved a flow of 1.1 L/min. Rethrombosis occurred again on day 13. At reoperation, thrombus was removed again. However, this time portal flow was not recovered, due to hepatofugal flow associated with both the presence of collaterals and pancreatic edema. A left renoportal anastomosis was performed using an interposed iliac vein graft. A catheter was placed into the portal vein through a recanalization of the umbilical vein of the graft. After urokinase perfusion, portal inflow was 1.7 L/min. The postoperative course was satisfactory, with progressive normalization of liver tests and no further thrombosis. Persistent ascites improved with treatment. Angiography on day 41 showed good portal flow from the renal vein, with uniform distribution within the liver. A renoportal anastomosis can be useful for recovery of liver failure after posttransplant portal thrombosis, in the absence of portal flow.

Surface and hemocompatibility studies of bi-soft segment polyurethane membranes.

Cross-linked urethane/urea membranes with two soft segments were prepared by extending a poly(propylene oxide) based tri-isocyanate-terminated prepolymer (PUR) with polybutadiene diol (PBDO). The ratio of prepolymer and polybutadiene diol was varied to yield cross-linked membranes with different compositions, exhibiting different degrees of phase-separation of the PBDO segments in the bulk and of surface enrichment in PUR. In this work, surface energy and hemocompatibility aspects (hemolysis and thrombosis) of the PUR/PBDO membranes were evaluated. The results showed that the membrane surface energy increased with the PBDO content until 25% of PBDO, and decreased thereafter. The introduction of the second, more hydrophobic, soft segment (PBDO) in the PUR membranes turned hemolytic into non-hemolytic membranes and, for a blood-material contact time of 10 minutes, decreased the thrombogenicity significantly. The 10% PBDO membrane was the least thrombogenic and was also non-hemolytic. The hemolysis degree did not vary significantly with the PBDO content while, for blood-material contact times of 10 minutes, the thrombogenicity increased with an increase in PBDO content above 10%. Membrane thrombogenicity varied with the blood-material contact time. For blood contact times of 10 minutes, all membranes tested were less thrombogenic than glass.

Five-year follow-up of a trial comparing Tacrolimus and cyclosporine microemulsion in liver transplantation.

We evaluate 5-year results of a prospective randomized trial that compared cyclosporine microemulsion (CsA-me) and Tacrolimus (Tac) for primary immunosuppression. One hundred one adult patients undergoing liver transplantation were randomized to receive Tac (n = 50) or CsA-me (n = 51). The most frequent indication for the procedure was cirrhosis due to virus C followed by alcoholism. Survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 86%, 75%, and 72%, respectively; there was no significant difference between CsA-me versus Tac arms. Acute rejection occurred in 30 cases (30%), independent of the type of primary immunosuppression. Serious adverse events were reported significantly more among patients under CsA-me (48 episodes) than under Tac (32 episodes). Nineteen patients were switched to the other calcineurin inhibitor. The switch was much more frequent from CsA-me to Tac (n = 15; 29.4%), mainly because of lack of efficacy (n = 10; 19.6%). There were no cases of chronic rejections in the Tac arm. Four patients were switched from Tac to CsA-me for side effects; only 1 remains alive, after treatment was changed from CsA-me to an antimetabolite. There were no statistical differences in renal dysfunction, diabetes, hypertension, neurologic disorders, new-onset malignancies, or infections. There were no differences in survival or rejection among the intention-to-treat groups. Serious adverse events, total patients with switch of calcineurin inhibitor, as well as switches due to lack of efficacy, were statistically more frequent under CsA-me. Tacrolimus seems to be a more appropriate drug to be used for primary immunosuppression in liver transplantation.

Comparison of automated quantitative coronary angiography with caliper measurements of percent diameter stenosis.

Measurement of coronary artery stenosis is an invaluable tool in the study of coronary artery disease. Clinical trials and even day-to-day decision making should ideally be based on accurate and reproducible quantitative methods. Quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) using digital angiographic techniques has been shown to fulfill these requirements. Yet many laboratories have abandoned visual analysis in favor of the intermediate quantitative approach involving hand-held calipers. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the relation between QCA and the commonly used caliper measurements. Percent stenosis was assessed in 155 lesions using 3 techniques: QCA, caliper measures from a 35-mm cine viewer (cine) and caliper measures from a video display (CRT). Good overall correlation was noted among the 3 different techniques (r greater than or equal to 0.72). Both of the caliper methods underestimated QCA for stenosis greater than or equal to 75% (p less than or equal to 0.001) and overestimated stenosis less than 75% (p less than 0.05). Reproducibility assessed in 52 lesions by independent observers showed QCA to be superior (r = 0.95) to either of the caliper measurements (cine: r = 0.63; CRT: r = 0.73). Therefore, the commonly used caliper method is not an adequate substitute for QCA because overestimation of noncritical stenoses and underestimation of severe stenoses may occur and the measurements have poor reproducibility. These factors definitely preclude its use in rigorous clinical trials. Moreover, since they do not appear to overcome known deficiencies of visual analysis, caliper measurements for day-to-day clinical use must also be seriously questioned.

Rejection properties of stochastic-resonance-based detectors of weak harmonic signals.

In [Phys. Rev. E 57, 6470 (1998)]] a thorough characterization in terms of receiver operating characteristics of stochastic-resonance detectors of weak harmonic signals of known frequency in additive Gaussian noise was given. It was shown that strobed sign-counting based strategies can be used to achieve a nice trade-off between performance and cost, by comparison with noncoherent correlators. Here we discuss the more realistic case where besides the sought signal (whose frequency is assumed known) further unwanted spectrally nearby signals with comparable amplitude are present. Rejection properties are discussed in terms of suitably defined false-alarm and false-dismissal probabilities for various values of interfering signal(s) strength and spectral separation.

[Acute occlusion after coronary angioplasty. Early management and late course]. / Oclusão aguda pós-angioplastia coronária. Manuseio precoce e evolução tardia.

PURPOSE: Assess the efficacy of the different strategies employed in the management of acute closure and verify the late prognosis of patients who develop this complication. METHODS: From january 1987, through December 1990, 2315 consecutive patients underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in our Institution. We analyzed 100 patients who had had acute closure of the dilated vessel determining the total incidence of myocardial infarction and death, the effectiveness of the different treatment strategies and clinical and angiographic predictors of poor in-hospital outcome. Late follow-up was obtained in the hospital survivors. RESULTS: The incidence of acute myocardial infarction in the group of 100 patients was 57%; death occurred in 12% of the patients. Forty-one individuals were referred to emergency bypass surgery, 35 received clinical treatment and 24 underwent redilatation of the vessel. Those managed clinically had a higher incidence of myocardial infarction compared to the ones who underwent either redilatation or surgery (74.3% versus 50% and 48.8%). The in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction < 45% (44.4%, p < 0.001) and in procedures involving the left anterior descending artery (20%, p < 0.05); patients undergoing repeat dilatation had the lower death rate (4.2% versus 8.6% in the clinical group and 17.1% in the surgical group). Late follow-up was obtained in 65 of 88 hospital survivors (mean follow-up = 17 months). Patients who underwent repeat dilatation were significantly less symptomatic in the follow-up than those who received medical therapy during the acute phase (89% versus 60.9% of patients without symptoms respectively, p < 0.05). Patients who were referred to surgery had also a tendency towards having less symptoms (87.5% of asymptomatic patients in the late follow-up) although the difference was not statistically significant (0.01 > p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acute coronary occlusion is a serious complication of angioplasty and is associated with high rates of major complications (myocardial infarction, death). Low left ventricular ejection fraction and PTCA involving the left anterior descending are predictors of higher in-hospital mortality in patients with acute closure. Late outcome is less favourable in patients submitted to clinical treatment in the acute phase.

[Coronary angioplasty of moderate lesions (50 to 60%)]. / Angioplastia coronária de lesões moderadas (50 A 60%).

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of transluminal coronary angioplasty in patients with moderate (50-60%) coronary lesions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and thirty nine patients, 108 (78%) male, mean age was 55 years, who underwent coronary angioplasty from August 1983 to January 1989. Clinical findings included stable angina in 91 (65%) and unstable angina in 48 (35%). Single vessel disease was the case for 117 (84%), whereas 22 (16%) had two vessel coronary artery disease. RESULTS: Primary success rate was 130 (94%). All patients with two vessel disease had complete revascularization. In the failure group there were 2 acute myocardial infarction (1.4%), and 4 (2.8%) emergency coronary artery by-pass surgery. There were no in-hospital deaths. Of the 130 patients with success, 119 (92%) had late follow-up (mean time 31 months). At the end of the follow-up period we found 85 (71%) asymptomatic, while 27 (23%) had recurrence of symptoms. There were 2 late cardiovascular deaths. Fifty four patients underwent late angiography and 42 (78%) had maintenance of the result while 12 (22%) had restenosis, with a mean degree more severe than pre-coronary angioplasty. CONCLUSION: Coronary angioplasty of moderate lesions has a high success rate (94%); nevertheless the rate of major complications and restenosis is very similar to that of coronary angioplasty for severe stenosis. Such findings led us to reserve the indication of coronary angioplasty for moderate lesions for patients at higher risk with clear evidence of myocardial ischemia.

[The usefulness of digital angiography in performing coronary angioplasty. An analysis of 100 cases]. / Utilidade da angiografia digital na realização da angioplastia coronária. Análise de 100 casos.

PURPOSE: To analyse the actual contribution of digital angiography in the angioplasty setting and to assess its utility to optimize angioplasty results. METHODS: One hundred patients with single vessel coronary artery disease, without previous angioplasty or coronary artery bypass graft surgery, who underwent angioplasty from January to December 1990. Views were obtained in standard films and also in digitized angiograms. The latter was acquired before angioplasty in order to precisely quantify the stenosis and also to measure the reference diameter of the artery that was used and to choose the balloon catheter for each case. New acquisitions were done during and after the end of the procedure to confirm the residual stenosis and to measure the final diameter. RESULTS: The mean stenosis pre angioplasty was 78.2%, the mean reference diameter 2.8 mm and the mean diameter at the stenotic site 0.8 mm. The balloon artery relation was 0.9:1. After angioplasty the residual stenosis was 13.6% and the dilated segment had a final diameter of 2.6 mm. There were no complications in any patient. CONCLUSION: Digital angiography is a useful method for laboratories devoted to coronary interventions for it allows confirmation of the severity of the stenosis, optimizes the balloon/artery relation, monitors partial results and measures the residual stenosis as well as the final diameter.

[Angioplasty of the anterior descending artery with abnormal origin: use of a new low-profile catheter balloon. A case report]. / Angioplastia da artéria descendente anterior de origem anômala: aplicação de novo cateter-balão de baixo perfil. Relato de caso.

It is possible to perform transluminal coronary angioplasty (TCA) in thin vessels presenting severe obstructions. One of the achievements that made such procedure possible is the development of a new generation of balloon catheters. In this case report the TCA was performed in a very thin left anterior descending artery with an anomalous origin, a quite rare situation that represents a major problem to the traditional dilator system. The catheter used was a Probe (USCI), which differs of the traditional balloons in a number of characteristics. The authors consider the procedure in detail pointing out the advantages of using of the new generations and discuss the impact that newer technological developments will have in enlarging the indications for TCA and improving the results.

[Heparin in coronary angioplasty. Randomized study in cases with low risk of acute occlusion]. / Heparina na angioplastia coronária. Estudo randomizado em casos com baixo risco para lclusão aguda.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of heparin in preventing the abrupt closure after coronary angioplasty in low risk patients for this phenomenon. METHODS: In the last 4 years, 525 patients successfully dilated were randomized to receive intravenous heparin (n = 264) or not (n = 261) after the angioplasty. The excluding criteria were contraindications for heparin and risk for abrupt closure (refractory unstable angina, primary coronary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction, evidence of intracoronary thrombus, intimal tear after the procedure and cases of chronic total occlusions). Both heparin and non heparin groups were similar in respect to female sex (15% x 17%; p = NS), age over 70 years old (7% x 9%; p = NS), previous myocardial infarction (26% x 24%; p = NS), multi-vessel procedures (4% x 7%; p = NS, stable angina (40% x 46%; p = NS), unstable angina (52% x 48%; p = NS) and angioplasty after thrombolytic therapy (8% x 6%; p = NS). RESULTS: The overall incidence of abrupt closure was 2/525 (0.4%), with one case (0.4%) in each group. The in-hospital mortality was 1/525 (0.2%), which occurred in a non-heparin patient, due to a anterior myocardial infarction. Major complications occurred similarly in heparin and non-heparin groups (0.4%). Bleeding complications were observed more frequently in the heparin group (7% x 2%; p = 0.002). All of them were in the catheterization site and none required blood transfusion. Severe systemic bleeding were not observed. CONCLUSION: In patients regarded as low risk for abrupt closure, the incidence of this complication was really low (0.4%) and heparin probably do not prevent it.

[Nonsurgical treatment of coronary pulmonary arteriovenous fistula]. / Tratamento não-cirúrgico de fístula artério-venosa coronária pulmonar.

Fifty eight year old man, with dyspnea, fatigue and progressive angina underwent cinecoronarography, which showed an arterio-venous coronary-pulmonary fistula originating from the circumflex artery to the pulmonary circulation. We decided to occlude it percutaneously, using a detachable balloon technic. The occlusion was accomplished successfully. Clinical evolution was excellent and the follow-up cinecoronarography 6 months later showed the maintainance of the initial results.

[Inefficacy of diltiazem in restenosis prevention after coronary angioplasty]. / Ineficácia do diltiazem na prevenção da reestenose após angioplastia coronária.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of diltiazem in preventing restenosis after balloon angioplasty (PTCA). METHODS: Eighty-nine patients who were undergone to successful PTCA, were divided them in 2 groups (G): A) 44 patients (50%) who received diltiazem (180 mg tid) immediately after PTCA and were kept on it for 6 months); B) 45 patients (50%) who received placebo. Fifty two lesions were dilated in GA and 54 in GB. Patients were excluded from analysis for several reasons, including: necessity of diltiazem or others calcium channel blockers use; heart failure, bradicardia, AV block of any degree, PTCA to chronic total occlusion, ostial lesions and AMI less than 30 days prior to PTCA. Patients were randomized to either the active drug or placebo in a double blind fashion. Restenosis was defined as a 50% lesion. Patients underwent late angiography either at 6 months or sooner if clinically indicated. RESULTS: Both G were similar to age > 70 years (A = 7% vs B = 4%-p = NS), sex (A = 13% vs B = 11%-p = NS), stable angina (A = 43% vs B = 51%), unstable angina (A = 57% vs B = 49%-p = NS) and single vessel (A = 91% vs B = 87%-p = NS) or multivessel (A = 9% vs B = 13%-p = NS) PTCA. We studied 39/44 (89%) patients in GA and 43/45 (96%) in GB (p = NS). We observed restenosis in 17/39 (43%) in GA and 16/43 (37%) in GB (p = NS). The restenosis rate per lesion was 39% in GA and 31% in GB (p = NS). CONCLUSION: Diltiazem was ineffective in the prevention of restenosis following PTCA.

[The use of primary coronary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction in patients over 70 years of age]. / Emprego da angioplastia coronária primária no infarto agudo do miocárdio em pacientes acima de 70 anos.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of primary coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in patients older than 70 years, evolving with acute myocardial infarction, without the previous administration of thrombolytic agents. METHODS: Forty-two patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and more than 70 years of age (m = 76.4y). There were 54.7% men and 43% of them had anterior MI. PTCA was carried out during the first 12 hours of evolution and in the first 3 hours of duration in 47% of them. PTCA was done only to the AMI related artery, which was the left descending artery in 43%, the right coronary artery in 47% and the left circumflex in the remaining patients. Nineteen percent of these patients were in Killip class III e IV. RESULTS: Primary success was achieved in 86%. The in hospital mortality was 14.2%, and it was superior in female gender (26.3%), in Killip class III and IV (37.5%), in those with multivessel coronary disease (16.6%) and in those where primary PTCA failed (33%). There were 9.3% of reinfarction, but no major hemorrhages happened. Late angiography was done in 50% of patients, showing 72% of patency in the AMI related artery, and a significant improval of global ejection fraction and of the wall motion, particularly, in those who maintained arterial patency. CONCLUSION: Primary PTCA, without former use of thrombolytic agents, when applied early in elderly patients evolving with AMI, has a high success rate and low mortality rate in this subset of high risk patients. It also shows no major hemorrhagic complications.

[Coronary angioplasty: efficacy of the new low profile balloon catheters]. / Angioplastia coronária: eficácia dos novos cateteres-balão de baixo perfil.

New low profile balloon catheter have allowed the indication of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) for more complex lesions. We report our initial experience with these systems in 50 out of 101 patients (50%) who underwent a PTCA from March 15 to May 15, 1989 in "Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia". Mean age was 58.6 +/- 10.4 years and most of the patients were male (78%). We dilated 54 lesions. Single vessel disease was the case for 84% of the patients. As for the localization of the lesions in the coronary arteries, 56% of the lesions were in the proximal or mid segments of the coronary arteries and the mean diameter stenosis pre-PTCA was 84 +/- 10.2%. Left ventricular function was normal in 60% of the patients. Primary success rate (per patient) was 95% and the coronary stenosis was crossed in all the cases. The mean inflation number was 2.7 +/- 0.6 per patient, the mean highest pressure was 8 +/- 1.15 atm and the mean maximum time of inflation was 86.1 +/- 29.6 sec. The mean residual stenosis was 15.2 +/- 10.6%. There was only one major complication, namely an acute myocardial infarction of the lateral wall. There were no emergency CABG surgery or deaths. We conclude that the new low profile balloon catheters have broadened the indication for PTCA in more complicated lesions, showing a high rate of primary success (95%), but did not increase the number of procedural complications (2.5%).

[Coronary angioplasty in patients with restenosis. Characterization of clinical and angiographic profiles, hospital clinical course, and implications for the selection of patients]. / Angioplastia coronária em pacientes com lesões reestenóticas. Caracterização do perfil clínico e angiográfico, evolução hospitalar e implicações para seleção de pacientes.

PURPOSE: To define the clinical and angiographic profile of patients undergoing to a 2nd or a 3rd coronary angioplaty (PTCA) for the treatment of restenosis, and assess the safety and efficacy of redilatation. METHODS: Patients submitted to PTCA for a 1st (1stRE) or a 2nd (2ndRE) restenosis, from Jan/1980 through Dec/1993, were retrospectively identified, and compared to those undergoing to PTCA for de novo lesions (DN). RESULTS: A total of 5,736 underwent to dilatation of primary lesions, 610 of a 1stRE, and 64 of a 2ndRE. Patients with restenotic lesions had a higher prevalence of diabetes, smoking, history of prior infarction (1stRE e 2ndRE) and hyperlipidemia (2ndRE) as compared with primary lesions (p < 0.05). Besides patients with a 2ndRE had a higher incidence of left ventricular dysfunction, as compared to those with DN or a 1stRE (31.3% with EF < 45% in group 2ndRE, vs 19.8% and 23.1% in groups 1stRE and DN, respectively, p < 0.05). Primary success, infarct rate and mortality were similar in all groups, but emergency bypass surgery was significantly higher in the DN (2.1% vs 0.8% in 1stRE and 0% in 2ndRE, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Restenosis can be effectively treated by redilatation. Patients with clinical and angiographic features predisposing to further recurrence can be better treated with other interventions (i.e., coronary stents, bypass surgery).

Percutaneous handling of coronary lesions >20mm through stents. Is there a first choice strategy?

OBJECTIVE - This study compared the early and late results of the use of one single stent with those of the use of multiple stents in patients with lesions longer than 20mm. METHODS - Prospective assessment of patients electively treated with stents, with optimal stent deployment and followed-up for more than 3 months. From February '94 to January '98, 215 patients with lesions >20mm were treated. These patients were divided into 2 groups as follows: Group A - 105 patients (49%) with one stent implanted; Group B - 110 patients (51%) with multiple stents implanted. RESULTS - The mean length of the lesions was 26mm in group A (21-48mm) versus 29mm in group B (21-52mm) (p=0.01). Major complications occurred in one patient (0.9%) in group A (subacute thrombosis, myocardial infarctionand death) and in 2 patients (1.8%) in group B (one emergency surgery and one myocardial infarction) (p=NS). The results of the late follow-up period (>6 months) were similar for both groups (group A = 82% vs group B = 76%; p=NS), and we observed an event-free survical in 89% of the patients in group A and in 91% of the patients in group B (p=NS). Angina (group A = 11% vs group B = 7%) and lesion revascularization (group A = 5% vs group B = 6%; p=NS) also occurred in a similar percentage. No infarction or death was observed in the late follow-up period; restenosis was identified in 33% and 29% of the patients in groups A and B, respectively (p=NS). CONCLUSION - The results obtained using one stent and using multiple stents were similar; the greater cost-effectiveness of one stent implantation, however, seems to make this strategy the first choice.

[Occlusion of secondary branches after angioplasty of the left descending coronary artery]. / Oclusão de ramos secundários após angioplastia da artéria coronária descendente anterior.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence and clinical presentation of the occlusion of such secondary branches in patients with single vessel coronary artery disease in the left anterior descending artery, who underwent a first elective and successful PTCA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and thirteen side branches of 121 patients considered to be at risk. They were divided into group I (GI-85 side branches, 39.9%), if they originated from the atherosclerotic site; and group II (GII-120 side branches, 61.5%), if their origin would be involved during the balloon inflation. In the GI there were 54 septal branches and 31 diagonal branches, and 36& had angiographic evidence of ostium disease. GII was constituted by 77 septal and 51 diagonal branches, and 7.8% of them had evidence of ostium disease. RESULTS: Seven side branches (3.3%) at risk occluded, 4 from GI (4.7%) and 3 (2.3%) from GII. As for the clinical presentation, 57% of them had angina, where as 28.6% showed minor abnormalities in the ECG. No patient elevated its serum CK-MB, and silent occlusion occurred in 43% of them. CONCLUSION: Occlusion of side branches is a low incidence phenomenon, which happens more often in septal branches with ostium disease that originates from the atherosclerotic site; that about half of the patient had silent occlusion (43%) or mild ischemic manifestations.

[Coronary angioplasty in the 8th and 9th decades of life: an effective technique for myocardial revascularization?]. / Angioplastia coronária em longevos na 8a. e 9a. décadas de vida: uma opção eficaz de revascularização?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTCA), as a revascularization procedure in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease in the 8th and 9th decades of life. METHODS: Four hundred and fifty-two elderly patients (mean age 74.7 years) underwent balloon dilation, between April 1982 and June 1990, at the Institute "Dante Pazzanese" of Cardiology. There were 70.4% male, 34.9% with high blood pressure, 18.8% smoked and 10.8% with diabetes. Ninety-four patients (20.7%) had previous myocardial infarction and systemic disorders were diagnosed in 14% (renal failure 5.1%, respiratory insufficiency 3.1%, rheumatic and bone disorders 1.1%, malignancy 4.2%, haematologic disorders 0.4%). One hundred and seventy-three (38.3%) had multivessel coronary artery disease whereas 84 (18.5%) had moderate to severe dysfunction of the left ventricle. PTCA was done according to the method described by Grüntzig, with the use of a "over the wire" (LPS, USCI, Mini Profile USCI, ACX ACS) balloon or a "on the wire" (Probe USCI, Axcel ACS) System. RESULTS: Primary success was achieved in 406 (89.5%) patients where PTCA was done to dilate one vessel in 412, two vessels in 38 and three vessels in 2, accomplishing 494 dilated vessels. Major complications occurred in 14 (3.1%) patients, due to occlusion of the treated coronary artery. Emergency by-pass surgery was necessary in 5 (1.1%) patients, while 8 patients involved to acute myocardial infarction (1.8%), and 5 (1.1%) died. At the end of the late follow-up (mean 24.5 months) of 349 elderly patients (86% of the 406 successful dilated) 246 (70.5%) were asymptomatic, chest pain had recurred in 101 (28.9%) and 2 (0.6%) had myocardial infarction. Twenty-eight patients died during the follow-up, 14 of them (4.0%) due to cardiac causes. Late restenosis developed in 66 patients and 22 had progression of coronary atherosclerosis. Forty patients underwent a late PTCA, and 33 others underwent a late bypass surgery. CONCLUSION: PTCA in patients in the 8th and 9th decade of life was a safe and efficient procedure (primary success rate about 90% and major complications of 3.1%). The late evolution showed satisfactory clinical results (70.5% of asymptomatic) low myocardial infarction rate (0.3% per year) and low incidence of cardiac death (2% per year). About 2/3 of the patients were free of any cardiac event (angina, myocardial infarction, by-pass surgery or death) at the end of the follow-up.