Tip Detection-Antegrade Dissection and Re-Entry With New Puncture Wire in CTO Intervention: Revolution Through 3D-Wiring.

Background: The authors devised the tip detection (TD) method and developed AnteOwl WR intravascular ultrasound to standardize intravascular ultrasound-based 3-dimensional wiring for intraplaque tracking in chronic total occlusion (CTO)-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The TD method also allowed antegrade dissection and re-entry (ADR). Combining TD-ADR with Conquest Pro 12 Sharpened Tip (CP12ST) wire, a new ADR wire with the strongest penetration force developed to date, enabled re-entry anywhere except calcification sites. Objectives: This study investigated the efficacy and feasibility of TD-ADR by comparison of procedural outcomes with Stingray-ADR in CTO-PCI. Methods: Twenty-seven consecutive CTO cases treated by TD-ADR with CP12ST wire between August 2021 and April 2023 and 27 consecutive CTO cases treated by Stingray-ADR with Conquest 8-20 (CP20) wire between March 2018 and July 2021 were retrospectively enrolled as the TD-ADR by CP12ST wire group and Stingray-ADR by CP20 wire group, respectively, from 4 facilities that could share technical information on these procedures. Results: The success rate of the ADR procedure was significantly improved (27 of 27 cases [100%] vs 18 of 27 cases [67%], respectively; P = 0.002) and total procedural time was significantly reduced (median procedural time: 145.0 [Q1-Q3: 118.0-240.0] minutes vs 185.0 [Q1-Q3: 159.5-248.0] minutes, respectively; P = 0.028) in the TD-ADR by CP12ST wire group compared to the Stingray-ADR by CP20 wire group. There were few in-hospital major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events or no complications in either group. Conclusions: TD-ADR by CP12ST wire can standardize highly accurate ADR in CTO-PCI.

Retrograde Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention (JR-CTO) Score: From the Japanese CTO-PCI Expert Registry.

BACKGROUND: Despite the effectiveness of the retrograde approach for chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions, there are no standardized tools to predict the success of retrograde percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to develop a prediction tool to identify CTO lesions that will achieve successful retrograde PCI. METHODS: This study evaluated data from 2,374 patients who underwent primary retrograde CTO-PCI and were enrolled in the Japanese CTO-PCI Expert Registry between January 2016 and December 2022 (NCT01889459). All observations were randomly assigned to the derivation and validation cohorts at a 2:1 ratio. The prediction score for guidewire failure in retrograde CTO-PCI was determined by assigning 1 point for each factor and summing all accrued points. RESULTS: The JR-CTO score (moderate-severe calcification, tortuosity, Werner collateral connection grade ≤1, and nonseptal collateral channel) demonstrated a C-statistic for guidewire failure of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.67-0.76) and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.64-0.77) in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. Patients with lower scores had higher guidewire and technical success rates and decreased guidewire crossing time and procedural time (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The JR-CTO (Japanese Retrograde Chronic Total Occlusion) score, a simple 4-item score that predicts successful guidewire crossing in patients undergoing retrograde CTO-PCI, has the potential to support clinical decision-making for the retrograde approach.

The Characteristics of Primary Retrograde Approach Selection for Native Coronary Chronic Occlusion With Short Occlusion Length from the Japanese CTO-PCI Expert Registry.

Although the coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) crossing algorithm has been published, the characteristics associated with the first strategy selection for short-length lesions <20 mm is still debatable. This study aimed to determine the characteristics associated with primary retrograde approach (PRA) for native CTO with short occlusion length in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Between January 2014 and December 2021, we examined data on 4,088 lesions in the Japanese CTO-PCI Expert Registry with occlusion lengths <20 mm. Then, the characteristics for short-length CTO, which was performed by way of the PRA, were assessed. PRA was performed in 785 patients (19.2%). The guidewire success rate was 93.6%, and the technical success rate was 91.3%. Previous coronary artery bypass grafting, chronic kidney disease, and 6 lesion/anatomic characteristics (i.e., blunt stump, distal runoff <1 mm, CTO lesion tortuosity, reattempt procedures, ostial location, and the presence of collateral channel grade 2) were associated with PRA (p <0.05). Moreover, hemodialysis was an independent factor of unsuccessful anterograde guidewire crossing, along with distal runoff <1 mm, the existence of calcification, and CTO lesion tortuosity (all p <0.05). In clinical settings, these independent factors for PRA in short-length CTO can help in selecting the CTO-PCI strategy.

The WATCH-DM risk score estimates clinical outcomes in type 2 diabetic patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

The coexistence of heart failure is frequent and associated with higher mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and its management is a critical issue. The WATCH-DM risk score is a tool to predict heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We investigated whether it could estimate outcomes in T2DM patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The WATCH-DM risk score was calculated in 418 patients with T2DM hospitalized for HFpEF (male 49.5%, age 80 ± 9 years, HbA1c 6.8 ± 1.0%), and they were divided into the "average or lower" (≤ 10 points), "high" (11-13 points) and "very high" (≥ 14 points) risk groups. We followed patients to observe all-cause death for 386 days (median). We compared the area under the curve (AUC) of the WATCH-DM score for predicting 1-year mortality with that of the Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) score and of the Barcelona Bio-Heart Failure Risk (BCN Bio-HF). Among the study patients, 108 patients (25.8%) had average or lower risk scores, 147 patients (35.2%) had high risk scores, and 163 patients (39.0%) had very high risk scores. The Cox proportional hazard model selected the WATCH-DM score as an independent predictor of all-cause death (HR per unit 1.10, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.19), and the "average or lower" risk group had lower mortality than the other groups (p = 0.047 by log-rank test). The AUC of the WATCH-DM for 1-year mortality was 0.64 (95% CI 0.45 to 0.74), which was not different from that of the MAGGIC score (0.72, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.80, p = 0.08) or that of BCN Bio-HF (0.70, 0.61 to 0.80, p = 0.25). The WATCH-DM risk score can estimate prognosis in T2DM patients with HFpEF and can identify patients at higher risk of mortality.

Influence of ultrasound transmit frequency on measurement of global longitudinal strain on 2D speckle tracking echocardiography.

The reproducibility of longitudinal strain measured by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) may be affected by ultrasound settings. This study investigated the effect of transmit ultrasound frequency on global longitudinal strain (GLS) by 2DSTE. Apical, 2- and 4-chamber, and long-axis views were obtained in consecutive 162 patients using Philips ultrasound devices. Three different frequency presets were used sequentially: high resolution (HRES, 1.9 to 2.1 MHz), general (HGEN, 1.6 to 1.8 MHz), and penetration mode (HPEN, 1.3 to 1.6 MHz). GLS values were determined for each preset using the Philips Q-station software, resulting in GLS-HRES, GLS-HGEN, and GLS-HPEN. Among the 151 patients with successfully measured GLS, a significant difference in GLS was observed among the three presets (p < 0.0001). GLS-HRES (- 17.9 ± 4.4%) showed a slightly smaller magnitude compared to GLS-HGEN (- 18.8 ± 4.5%, p < 0.0001) and GLS-HPEN (- 18.8 ± 4.5%, p < 0.0001), with absolute differences of 1.1 ± 1.0% and 1.1 ± 1.2%, respectively. This variation in GLS with frequency was evident in patients with both optimal (n = 104) and suboptimal (n = 47) image quality and remained consistent regardless of ultrasound devices, ischemic etiology, or ejection fraction. In conclusion, ultrasound frequency had only a modest effect on GLS measurements. GLS may be reliably assessed in most cases regardless of the ultrasound frequency used.

Sleep apnea severity in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation: Home sleep apnea-test and polysomnography comparison.

Background: Sleep apnea (SA) is highly prevalent and should be treated in patients referred for catheter ablation (CA) of atrial fibrillation (AF). Watch-type peripheral arterial tonometry (WP) for home SA testing has demonstrated a high correlation of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) with Polysomnography (PSG), but the evidence of its accuracy in AF patients is not adequate. Methods: This study was conducted under a retrospective, single-center, observational design. We included 464 consecutive AF patients (age 65 ± 11 years, 76.5% male, 45.0% paroxysmal-AF) who received both WP and PSG during the periprocedural period of the CA. We compared the AHI using the WP (WP-AHI) to that using PSG (PSG-AHI). Results: The WP-AHI was 25.9 ± 12.7 and PSG-AHI 31.4 ± 18.9 (r = .48). Among 325 patients with a WP-AHI < 30, 116 (35.7%) exhibited a PSG-AHI ≥ 30. Only 12.5% of the patients were indicated for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment only by the WP-AHI, while 70.9% were indicated for CPAP by the PSG-AHI according to the Japanese health insurance system. The best cut-off value of the WP-AHI was 18.1 to predict a PSG-AHI ≥ 20 with an area under the curve of 0.72 (95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.76). Conclusions: The WP-AHI and PSG-AHI were weakly correlated in AF patients receiving CA. About one-third of the patients with moderate SA using the WP was diagnosed with severe SA evaluated by PSG. The majority required PSG for the CPAP indication.

Ten-year clinical outcomes from a randomized trial comparing new-generation everolimus-eluting stent versus first-generation Sirolimus-eluting stent: Results from the RESET extended study.

BACKGROUND: New-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) achieved technological innovations and reported clinical advantages as compared with first-generation DES in clinical trials with 3-5 years follow-up. However, detailed clinical outcome data in very long-term follow-up is still scarce. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate 10-year clinical outcomes after first- and new-generation DES implantation. METHODS: In this extende follow-up study of the RESET, which is a largest randomized trial comparing everolimus-eluting stent (EES) with Sirolimus-eluting stent (SES), the study population consisted of 2892 patients from 84 centers. The primary efficacy and safety endpoints were target lesion revascularization (TLR) and a composite of death or myocardial infarction (MI), respectively. Complete 10-year follow-up was achieved in 87.9% of patients. RESULTS: Cumulative 10-year incidences of TLR and non-TLR were not significantly different between EES and SES (13.9% vs. 15.7%, Log-rank p = 0.20, and 33.4% vs. 31.3%, Log-rank p = 0.30). The cumulative 10-year incidence of death/MI was also not significantly different between the groups (32.5% vs. 34.4%, Log-rank p = 0.18). Cumulative 10-year incidence of definite stent thrombosis was numerically lower in EES than in SES (1.0% vs. 1.7%, Log-rank p = 0.16). The lower risk of EES relative to SES was significant for a composite endpoint of target lesion failure (TLF: 19.6% vs. 24.9%, Log-rank p = 0.001) and target vessel failure (TVF: 26.7% vs. 31.4%, Log-rank p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: During 10-year of follow-up, the risks for primary efficacy and safety endpoints were not significantly different between new-generation EES and first-generation SES, although EES compared with SES was associated with a lower risk for composite endpoints such as TLF and TVF.

Efficacy of Intravascular Ultrasound-Based 3D Wiring Using the Tip Detection Method for CTO Intervention.

To perform intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-based real-time 3-dimensional wiring in chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention, we devised a tip detection method and developed AnteOwl WR (AO)-IVUS, which is an upgraded version of Navifocus WR (Navi)-IVUS with an added pull back transducer system. We compared the procedural outcomes of AO-IVUS-based 3-dimensional wiring using the tip detection method (n = 30) and Navi-IVUS-based conventional wiring (n = 17) in chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention. The success rate of IVUS-guided wiring was markedly improved in the AO-IVUS group compared with the Navi-IVUS group (93% vs 59% of cases, respectively; P = 0.007). In cases of successful IVUS-guided wiring, the IVUS-guided wiring time was markedly improved in the AO-IVUS group compared with the Navi-IVUS group (9 ± 8 minutes vs 24 ± 26 minutes, respectively; P = 0.001). There were 2 successful cases of tip detection-antegrade dissection and re-entry in the AO-IVUS group.

Guide extension proximal locking method: standardization of maximum backup force in percutaneous coronary intervention.

We developed the smallest diameter guide-extension catheter (GUIDE PLUS® 5Fr) to enable a new technique, the guide-extension proximal locking method (GP-Lock), and assessed its efficacy in the present experimental and clinical study. Sufficient guide catheter backup is sometimes crucial for PCI. We developed the KIWAMI-Lock direct anchoring method to obtain the strongest backup force by locking a Kiwami® 4Fr child catheter (Terumo Corp. Tokyo, Japan) directly to the coronary artery by ballooning from outside the child catheter. However, this method is complicated due to the requirement for a child catheter. We compared the backup power of the GP-Lock method and other conventional methods in an experimental study and compared the procedural outcomes of 17 cases treated using the initial GP-Lock method with 17 cases using the recent KIWAMI-Lock method before GP-Lock. The GP-Lock method had the highest backup force among the methods examined (GP-Lock: 293.7 ± 10.2 g force (gf), KIWAMI-Lock: 270.4 ± 12.9 gf, side branch balloon anchoring technique: 182.7 ± 8.1 gf, respectively, P < 0.0001). The preparation time was significantly shorter for the GP-Lock group than the KIWAMI-Lock group (5.0 [4.0, 5.0] min vs. 11.0 [8.0, 13.0] min, respectively, P < 0.001). The GP-Lock method makes it possible to easily obtain the strongest backup force, which can overcome situations where devices cannot pass through, especially in complex PCI procedures.

Clinical effective use of Conquest Pro 12 Sharpened Tip for chronic total occlusion intervention: A series of three case reports.

A new chronic total occlusion (CTO) guidewire, Conquest Pro 12 Sharpened Tip (CP12ST), has a stronger penetration force than the original CP12 and a deflection effect that it does not have. The CP12ST enables us to advance into hard plaque that has not ever penetrated, which might change CTO treatment as shown in three cases.

Shorter door-to-balloon time, better long-term clinical outcomes in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients: J-MINUET substudy.

BACKGROUND: The impact of shorter door-to-balloon (DTB time on long-term outcomes in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI has not been fully elucidated. METHODS: We investigated 3283 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction selected from a prospective, nationwide, multicenter registry (J-MINUET database comprising 28 institutions in Japan between July 2012 and March 2014. Among the study population, we analyzed 1639 STEMI patients who had PPCI within 12 h of onset. Patients were stratified into four groups (DTB time < 45 min, 45-60 min, 61-90 min, >90 min. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, non-fatal MI, non-fatal stroke, cardiac failure, and urgent revascularization for unstable angina up to 3 years. We performed landmark analysis for incidence of the primary endpoint from 31 days to 3 years among the four groups. RESULTS: The primary endpoint rate from 31 days to 3 years increased significantly and time-dependently with DTB time (10.2 % vs. 15.3 % vs. 16.2 % vs. 19.3 %, respectively; log-rank p = 0.0129. Higher logarithm-transformed DTB time was associated with greater risk of a primary endpoint from 31 days to 3 years, and the increased number of adverse long-term clinical outcomes persisted even after adjusting for other independent variables. CONCLUSION: Shorter DTB time was associated with better long-term clinical outcomes in STEMI patients treated with PPCI in contemporary clinical practice. Further efforts to shorten DTB time are recommended to improve long-term clinical outcomes in STEMI patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN Unique trial Number: UMIN000010037.

Impact of Residual Functional Mitral Regurgitation After Atrial Fibrillation Ablation on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction.

Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) negatively impacts the prognosis in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and reduced left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF). Although structural reverse remodeling after AF ablation can reduce FMR severity, the prognostic impact of FMR and its evolution remain unclear. Of 491 patients with baseline LVEF <50% who underwent first-time AF ablation, 134 patients (27%) had grade 2 to 4 FMR at baseline. Among them, 88 patients (66%) exhibited FMR improvement to grade 0 to 1 FMR 6 months after AF ablation. Conversely, among 357 with baseline grade 0 to 1 FMR, 13 patients (3.6%) exhibited FMR worsening to grade 2 to 4 FMR despite AF ablation. Assessment with multidetector computed tomography revealed that an increase in the left atrial emptying fraction (odds ratio 3.55 per 10% increase; 95% confidence interval 2.12 to 5.95) and a reduction in the LV end-diastolic volume index (1.35 per 10-ml/m2 decrease; 1.04 to 1.76) were identified as contributors to the FMR improvement. During a follow-up of 43 months, patients with postprocedural grade 2 to 4 FMR more frequently experienced hospitalizations for heart failure or cardiovascular death than those with grade 0 to 1 FMR (30.5% vs 4.6%, log-rank p <0.001). An age-adjusted multivariate Cox regression analysis including baseline and postprocedural FMR revealed that postprocedural grade 2 to 4 FMR (hazard ratio, 3.24; 95% confidence interval 1.43 to 7.35) was significantly associated with unfavorable events. In conclusion, AF ablation modified and often improved FMR severity in patients with reduced LVEF. Residual grade 2 to 4 FMR 6 months after AF ablation was associated with a poor prognosis.

Clinical expert consensus document on rotational atherectomy from the Japanese association of cardiovascular intervention and therapeutics: update 2023.

The Task Force on Rotational Atherectomy of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics (CVIT) proposed the expert consensus document to summarize the techniques and evidences regarding rotational atherectomy (RA) in 2020. Because the revascularization strategy to severely calcified lesions is the hottest topic in contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), many evidences related to RA have been published since 2020. Latest advancements have been incorporated in this updated expert consensus document.

Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Outcomes and Heart Failure (from the Kansai Plus Atrial Fibrillation Registry).

The impact of rhythm outcomes on heart failure (HF) hospitalizations remains unknown after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of atrial fibrillation (AF). We sought to elucidate whether AF recurrence was associated with HF hospitalizations after AF RFCA. We conducted a large-scale, prospective, multicenter, observational study (Kansai Plus Atrial Fibrillation Registry), enrolling 5,010 consecutive patients (age 64 ± 10 years, 27.3% female, and 35.7% nonparoxysmal AF) who underwent an initial AF RFCA at 26 centers. The median follow-up duration was 2.9 years. The cumulative 3-year incidence of HF hospitalizations after the initial RFCA was 1.84% (0.69%/year). Hospitalized patients with HF were older with a higher prevalence of nonparoxysmal AF, renal dysfunction, diabetes, and underlying heart disease pre-RFCA. HF hospitalizations occurred more often in patients with than without recurrences (3.27 vs 0.84%, log-rank p <0.0001). After adjusting for confounders using a Cox model, AF recurrence remained an independent predictor of HF hospitalizations (hazard ratio [HR] 2.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.80 to 4.47, p <0.0001). AF recurrence was a distinct HF hospitalization risk in patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50% (HR 4.54, 95% CI 2.38 to 8.65, p <0.0001) but not <50% (HR 1.31, 95% CI 0.65 to 2.62, p = 0.45), with significant interactions. Furthermore, patients with AF recurrences within 1 year had a greater HF hospitalization risk after 1 year (1.61% vs 0.79%, log-rank p = 0.019). In conclusion, AF recurrence after RFCA was independently associated with HF hospitalizations.

Clinical impact of beta-blockers at discharge on long-term clinical outcomes in patients with non-reduced ejection fraction after acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Beta-blockers are associated with several clinical benefits in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (REF) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), such as lower rates of mortality, recurrence of myocardial infarction, and heart failure. However, the long-term prognosis of beta-blockers has rarely been investigated in patients with non-REF after AMI. This study aimed to investigate the clinical benefits of beta-blockers in these patients. METHODS: A total of 3281 consecutive patients who were hospitalized within 48 h after AMI were registered in the J-MINUET study. Patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and had a left ventricular ejection fraction ≥40 % were enrolled, and patients who died during admission were excluded. Included patients were divided into two groups according to the prescription of beta-blockers at discharge. Their characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared. RESULTS: The number of AMI patients treated with beta-blockers was 1353 (70.4 %). Patients who received beta-blockers were younger and had a higher incidence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction than those who did not receive beta-blockers. The peak creatine kinase level after primary PCI was significantly higher in patients who received beta-blockers. These patients also had a lower incidence of a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and stroke compared to those that did not receive beta-blockers (7.3 % vs. 11.9 %, p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that beta-blocker use was an independent factor for better clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The J-MINUET study revealed the clinical benefit of beta-blockers in AMI patients with non-REF after primary PCI.

Communicating Coronary and Ventricular Pseudoaneurysms Complicating Coronary Artery Perforation.

We present the case of a 75-year-old man who experienced rebleeding after surgical treatment of grade III coronary perforation, resulting in intertwined complications including communicating coronary and ventricular pseudoaneurysms. The percutaneous intervention of sealing the rebleeding site with a covered stent implantation managed this rare pseudoaneurysm successfully. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Tip detection-antegrade dissection and reentry using intravascular ultrasound in chronic total occlusion intervention: first human case report.

Background: It has been considered impossible to perform antegrade dissection and reentry (ADR) by simply puncturing with a guidewire using the intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) observation without the support of the Stingray system. Case summary: A 78-year-old man suffered from effort angina pectoris due to a chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesion in the left circumflex coronary artery. A retry percutaneous coronary intervention for the CTO lesion was attempted at our hospital. The J-CTO score was 3. The first guidewire entered the subintimal space. We moved onto Stingray-ADR using the angiographic observation, but the guidewire could not be led into the true lumen. AnteOwl WR-IVUS (AO-IVUS) observation revealed a distal true lumen in which the inner lumen was maintained 5 mm beyond the CTO exit. We decided to perform the tip detection-ADR using the AO-IVUS observation. The tip detection method allowed the tip of the penetration wire to puncture the wall between the subintima and the true lumen in an exactly vertical direction, resulting in the successful creation of a reentry point. The CTO lesion was dilated with one drug-eluting stent, and normal antegrade blood flow was achieved. Discussion: Since the tip detection method enables accurate punctures, it may allow for ADR by simply puncturing using a guidewire. Due to this method being performed using the IVUS observation, it is likely more reliable than Stingray-ADR using the angiographic observation.

Impact of Timing and Treatment Strategy on Coronary Perforation During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Chronic Total Occlusion.

Coronary perforations during chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention (CTO-PCI) are potential complications and reportedly associated with adverse events. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and timing of perforations during CTO-PCI. Data from the Japanese CTO-PCI expert registry included 8,760 patients who underwent CTO-PCI between January 2014 and January 2019. The major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were defined as death, tamponade, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, stroke, and revascularization. The guidewire manipulation time was defined as the time required to cross the CTO without perforation. Among these patients, 333 (3.8%) developed perforation during the CTO crossing attempt. Of the 333 patients, 29 developed cardiac tamponades (8.7%). Perforations more frequently occurred in a retrograde wiring than in an anterograde wiring (6.6% vs 1.7%, p <0.0001). A longer guidewire manipulation time was associated with the occurrence of perforation (median 101 minutes [interquartile range 59 to 150 minutes] in the perforation group vs 54.9 minutes [interquartile range 21.1 to 112.7 minutes] in the nonperforation group, p <0.0001). Risk factors for perforation were age, history of coronary bypass graft, right coronary artery lesion, de novo lesion, use of a stiff guidewire, and guidewire manipulation time of >60 minutes during anterograde wiring and age, non-left anterior descending artery lesion, use of a polymer-jacketed guidewire, and use of epicardial channel during retrograde wiring. In conclusion, risk factors for perforation were different between anterograde and retrograde wirings. A prolonged guidewire manipulation time was associated with the occurrence of perforation, especially during anterograde wiring.