Left coronary artery calcification patterns after coronary bypass graft surgery: An in-vivo optical coherence tomography study.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the severity and patterns of calcifications in the left main coronary artery (LMCA) and proximal segments of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and left circumflex artery (LCX) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with and without prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). BACKGROUND: CABG may accelerate upstream calcium development. METHODS: OCT images (n = 76) of the LMCA bifurcation from either the LAD or LCX in 76 patients with at least one patent left coronary graft, on average 7.0 ± 5.6 years post-CABG, were compared with 148 OCT images in propensity-score-matched non-CABG controls. RESULTS: Minimum lumen areas in the LMCA, LAD, and LCX in post-CABG patients were smaller than non-CABG controls. Maximum calcium arc and thickness as well as calcium length were greater in the LMCA and LCX, but not in the LAD in post-CABG patients versus non-CABG controls. Calcium located at the carina of a bifurcation, calcified nodules (CN), thin intimal calcium, and lobulated calcium were more prevalent in post-CABG patients. After adjusting for multiple covariates, prior CABG was an independent predictor of calcification at the carina of a bifurcation (odds ratio [OR] 5.77 [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.5-21.6]), thin intimal calcium (4.7 [1.5-14.4]), and the presence of a CN (15.60 [3.2-76.2]). CONCLUSIONS: Prior CABG is associated with greater amount of calcium in the LMCA and the proximal LCX, as well as higher prevalence of atypical calcium patterns, including CN, thin or lobulated calcium, and calcifications located at the carina of a bifurcation, compared with non-CABG controls.

Spindly reason for a pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary artery intimal sarcomas (PAISs) are rare, malignant tumours that arise from the intimal or intramural wall of the pulmonary artery and are often mistaken for pulmonary emboli. Diagnosis and treatment of this condition are difficult due to the lack of formal guidelines. Initiating treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis is essential for maximising survival. Here, we present the case of a patient with a PAIS that initially presented similar to pulmonary thromboembolic disease and was treated with a multimodal approach.

BOOM: A novel bifurcation stent technique using optical coherence tomography co-registration.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Bifurcation lesions comprise 20 % of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and are associated with worse long-term outcomes. With an increasing percentage of patients presenting with complex anatomy, including bifurcation disease, there is a need for treatment strategies to optimize PCI outcomes. METHODS/MATERIALS: We retrospectively analyzed 48 patients undergoing OCT guided bifurcation PCI using the 'Bifurcation and Ostial OCT Mapping' (BOOM) technique. The primary efficacy variable studied was stent precision following deployment, defined as the distance of the most proximal stent strut from the true ostium of the target vessel. Additionally, targeted follow-up occurred by phone at 6- and 12-months post procedure, where the frequency of myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization, target vessel and non-target vessel revascularization, and mortality were collected. RESULTS: A total of 40 (83.3 %) had an ostial lesion that required treatment while the remaining patients had true bifurcation disease. Most target lesions were in either the LAD or its branches (29 lesions (60.3 %)). With respect to stent positioning, the median absolute geographic miss, (i.e., stent protrusion into the main branch or lack of complete ostial stent coverage), was 0.75 mm. At 6 months, one patient required target lesion revascularization with no additional patients at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: BOOM is a safe and simple strategy that can be a useful technique to optimize precise stent placement for ostial and bifurcation lesions.

Safety of Same-Day Discharge after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Orbital Atherectomy.

BACKGROUND: Severely calcified lesions present many challenges to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Orbital atherectomy (OA) aids vessel preparation and treatment of severely calcified coronary lesions. Same-day discharge (SDD) after PCI has numerous advantages including cost savings and improved patient satisfaction. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety of SDD among patients treated with OA in a real-world setting. METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective analysis of patients undergoing OA. In-hospital and 30-day outcomes were assessed for major adverse cardiac events (MACE), device-related events and hospital readmissions. RESULTS: There were 309 patients treated with OA of whom 94 had SDD (30.4%). Among SDD patients, there were no acute procedural complications and all patients were safely discharged on the day of the procedure. MACE at 30 days occurred in 1 patient (1.06%) due to major bleeding in the setting of a gastric arteriovenous malformation. There were 8 patients with unplanned 30-day readmissions (8.5%). CONCLUSION: SDD after OA in patients with heavily calcified lesions appears to be safe, with low rates of adverse events and readmissions in select patients. In patients with SDD treated with OA, unplanned readmission occurred at a similar rate to the statewide average 30-day PCI readmission rate. Larger studies are needed to confirm the safety of this treatment paradigm and the potential cost savings.

Multicenter Registry of Real-World Patients With Severely Calcified Coronary Lesions Undergoing Orbital Atherectomy: 1-Year Outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: We report the 1-year outcomes of real-world patients with severely calcified coronary arteries who underwent orbital atherectomy. BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention of heavily calcified lesions is technically challenging and associated with worse clinical outcomes. Modification of severely calcified coronary lesions with orbital atherectomy facilitates stent delivery and expansion. Although we previously reported the safety of orbital atherectomy at 30 days in all comers with severely calcified coronary lesions, including patients who were excluded from the ORBIT II trial, longer-term follow-up is unknown. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 458 all-comer patients who underwent orbital atherectomy followed by stenting from October 2013 to December 2015 at three centers. The primary endpoint was the 1-year major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) rate, defined as the composite of death, myocardial infarction, target-vessel revascularization, and stroke. RESULTS: One-year data were available for 453/457 patients (98.9%). At 1-year follow-up, the MACCE rate was 12.6%, death rate was 4.0%, myocardial infarction rate was 1.8%, target-vessel revascularization rate was 7.5%, stroke rate was 1.3%, and stent thrombosis rate was 1.3%. CONCLUSION: Orbital atherectomy is a valuable option for the treatment of severely calcified coronary arteries, including patients with very complex coronary anatomy and severe underlying comorbid conditions. Orbital atherectomy provided acceptable outcomes at 1 year and compared favorably to historical controls. A randomized trial with longer follow-up is needed to determine the optimal treatment strategy for patients with severely calcified coronary lesions.

Orbital Atherectomy of Severely Calcified Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Disease: One-Year Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the 1-year outcomes of patients who underwent orbital atherectomy for severely calcified unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease. BACKGROUND: The standard of care for ULMCA is coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a reasonable option for the treatment for ULMCA disease, especially in patients who are not good candidates for surgical revascularization. Coronary artery calcification is associated with worse clinical outcomes in patients who undergo PCI. Modification of severely calcified plaque with orbital atherectomy facilitates stent delivery and expansion. Data on intermediate outcomes of patients with ULMCA disease who undergo orbital atherectomy are unknown. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 62 patients who underwent PCI with orbital atherectomy for ULMCA disease. The primary endpoint was the major cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) rate, which was the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, target-lesion revascularization, and stroke at 1 year. RESULTS: Distal bifurcation disease was present in 71.0%, and a single-stent strategy was used in 90.5%. No patients experienced coronary perforation or no-reflow. Two patients experienced coronary dissection (3.2%). One patient experienced BARC-2 bleeding (1.6%). At 1 year, the MACCE rate was 11.3%, with cardiac death occurring in 1.6%, myocardial infarction in 8.1%, and target-lesion revascularization in 4.8%. Non-cardiac death occurred in 4.8%. No patient experienced stroke or stent thrombosis. CONCLUSION: Orbital atherectomy is an acceptable treatment option for patients with severely calcified ULMCA disease, especially if patients are deemed too high risk for surgical revascularization.

Bifurcation and ostial optical coherence tomography mapping (BOOM) - Case description of a novel bifurcation stent technique.

Stent placement guided by angiography alone is often inexact, but of increased importance with bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We describe a novel technique using optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided angiographic co-registration termed "Bifurcation and Ostial OCT Mapping" (BOOM). The technique is based on the precise identification and mapping of the side-branch ostium using co-registration to minimize protrusion of stent struts into the main branch while ensuring full coverage of the ostium in the side-branch.

HIV transmission in discordant couples in Africa in the context of antiretroviral therapy availability.

OBJECTIVE: The study aims to understand the basis of continued HIV-1 transmission in Zambian and Rwandan HIV-1-discordant couples in the context of antiretroviral therapy (ART). DESIGN: We identified nine Zambian and seven Rwandan acutely infected, epidemiologically-linked couples from government couples' voluntary counseling and testing (CVCT) clinics where transmitting partners reported being on ART near the time of transmission. METHODS: We quantified viral load and plasma antiretroviral drug concentrations near the time of transmission and used these as surrogate measures for adherence. We also sequenced the polymerase gene from both donor and recipient partners to determine the presence of drug resistance mutations (DRMs). RESULTS: In Zambia, all transmitting partners had detectable viral loads, and 8/9 were not on therapeutic antiretroviral regimens. In the remaining couple, despite being on a therapeutic regimen, DRMs were present and transmitted. In Rwanda, although six of seven transmitting partners had detectable viral loads, therapeutic levels of antiretroviral drugs were detected in four of seven, but were accompanied by DRMs. In the remaining three couples, either no antiretrovirals or subtherapeutic regimens were detected. CONCLUSIONS: A reduction of ART effectiveness in nontrial settings was associated with lack of antiretrovirals in plasma and detectable viral load, and also drug resistance. In Zambia, where CVCT is not widely implemented, inconsistent adherence was high in couples unaware of their HIV discordance. In Rwanda, where CVCT is deployed country-wide, virologic failure was associated with drug resistance and subsequent transmission. Together, these findings suggest that increasing ART availability in resource-limited settings without risk reduction strategies that promote adherence may not be sufficient to control the HIV epidemic in the post-ART era.