Endarterectomy may be an effective additional treatment for three diffuse coronary artery disease complicated with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: In order to evaluate the clinical efficacy of coronary endarterectomy (CE) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with diabetes complicated with three diffuse coronary artery stenosis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 460 patients with diabetes mellitus and diffuse three-vessel coronary artery disease who underwent CABG in our department from September 2015 to December 2021. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether they underwent CE: the simple CABG group (group A, n = 254) and the CABG combined CE group (group B, n = 206). The perioperative outcomes, recurrent angina pectoris during 1-year follow-up, and the patency rate of the grafted vessel in coronary CT angiography were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the 30 days mortality rate between the two groups (2.3% vs 2.4%, p < 0.05). Group A had a shorter operation time [(3.55 ± 0.59) h versus (4.35 ± 0.65) h], less bypass grafts [(2.72 ± 0.83) versus (3.65 ± 0.72) vessels/case], a lower incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction (7.1% vs 12.6%), and a lower number of patent graft vessels at 1-year follow-up [(2.15 ± 0.42) versus (2.88 ± 0.68) vessels/case] compared with group B (all p < 0.05). Group A had a higher incidence of recurrent angina during follow-up (14.49% vs 6.47%) (p < 0.05). Although there was no significant difference in the incidence of MACCE events between the two groups, the probability of revascularization was higher in group A. CONCLUSION: Compared with single CABG, combined CE in patients with diabetes mellitus and diffuse three-vessel coronary artery disease can achieve more complete revascularization, reduce the recurrence of angina pectoris and the needing of postoperative revascularization, but the incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction is higher.

Impact of Mon2 monocyte-platelet aggregates on human coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPAs) form when Mon1, Mon2 or Mon3 monocyte subsets adhere to platelets. They are pathophysiologically linked to coronary artery disease (CAD). However, their individual roles in the occurrence of diffuse CAD remain unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood from 50 patients with diffuse CAD, 40 patients with focal CAD and 50 age-matched patients with normal coronary arteries was analysed by flow cytometry to quantify MPAs associated with individual monocyte subsets. Cutaneous forearm microcirculation was assessed using laser Doppler flowmetry at rest and after iontophoresis of acetylcholine (endothelium-dependent vasodilation) and sodium nitroprusside (endothelium-independent vasodilation) at 100 µA for 60 seconds. Patients with CAD had repeat assessment at 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: Baseline counts of MPAs with Mon2 subset (CD14++CD16+CC2+ monocytes) were significantly higher in patients with diffuse CAD compared to focal CAD (P = .001) and patients without CAD (P = .006). On multivariate regression, MPAs with Mon2 independently predicted diffuse CAD (odds ratio 1.10, 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.19, P = .01) and correlated negatively with endothelium-dependent microvascular vasodilation (r = -.37, P = .008), an association which persisted after adjustment for covariates. Longitudinal observation confirmed the persistence of an inverse relationship between MPAs with Mon2 and endothelium-dependent microvascular function. CONCLUSION: Monocyte-platelet aggregates with Mon2 are increased in patients with diffuse CAD and therefore could represent an important contributor to accelerated coronary atherosclerotic progression by a mechanism involving microvascular endothelial dysfunction.

Risk Prediction After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Combined With Coronary Endarterectomy.

Coronary endarterectomy (CE) combined with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is used for complete revascularization of diffusely diseased coronary arteries. Nevertheless, studies reported an increased risk after this procedure. Therefore, risk prediction in these patients is essential. Patients who underwent CABG + CE during September 2008 and July 2022 at our center were retrospectively recruited. A total of 32 characteristics were analyzed. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression were used for the feature selection, and multivariable Cox regression was applied to develop a nomogram for risk prediction. The primary outcome was the major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, and stroke. A total of 570 patients with 601 CE targets, including left anterior descending (41.4%), right coronary artery (43.9%), left circumflex artery (6.8%), and diagonal branches/intermedius ramidus (8.0%), were enrolled. The mean age was 61.0 ± 8.9 years, and 77.7% were men. A total of 4 features were identified as the predictors of MACCE, including age ≥65 years (hazard ratio [HR] 2.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.38 to 3.25, p <0.001), left main disease (HR 2.56, 95% CI 1.46 to 4.49, p = 0.001), mitral regurgitation (≥mild, HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.01 to 3.65, p = 0.049), and left anterior descending endarterectomy (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.62, p = 0.018), and a nomogram for the 1- and 3-year MACCE prediction was developed. The model showed relatively good discrimination (C-index 0.68), calibration, and clinical usefulness. In conclusion, the nomogram provides estimation of the 1- and 3-year MACCE risk after CABG + CE.

Selective coronary vein bypass graft improves outcomes of patients with right coronary artery lesion.

Background: The benefits of selective coronary vein bypass grafting (SCVBG) for patients with severe diffuse lesions of the right coronary artery (RCA) who are unsuitable for coronary endarterectomy (CE) are unclear. Methods: We recruited patients with diffuse lesions of the RCA undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery between January 2015 and December 2018 and matched SCVBG and CE patients on propensity score (PS). We evaluated the degree of single-stenosis in the RCA, incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction (MI) and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), influencing factors of perioperative MACCE, long-term survival rate, and long-term MACCE incidence. Results: Overall, 430 patients were enrolled: 344 (80%) underwent CE and 86 (20%) underwent SCVBG (n=78 and n=64, respectively, after PS matching). The incidence of perioperative MI and MACCE were significantly lower in the SCVBG group (5.1% vs. 1.5%, P<0.05; and 10.2% vs. 4.7%, P<0.05). When the vascular flow rate of the graft anastomosed to RCA in the SCVBG group was above 100 mL/min, the incidence of perioperative MACCE significantly increased [odds ratio (OR): 1.94, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.42-2.03]. Choosing the bilateral internal mammary artery for SCVBG reduced the incidence of perioperative MACCE (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68-0.92). There was no significant difference in the rates of long-term survival or MACCE between the two groups before or after PS matching (P>0.05). Conclusions: SCVBG is an acceptable surgical intervention for patients with severe diffuse RCA lesions.

Drug-eluting stent and drug-coated balloon for the treatment of de novo diffuse coronary artery disease lesions: A retrospective case series study.

BACKGROUND: The hybrid strategy of a combination of drug-eluting stent (DES) and drug-coated balloon (DCB) is promising for the treatment of de novo diffuse coronary artery disease (CAD). HYPOTHESIS: To investigate the efficacy and functional results of hybrid strategy. METHODS: This case series study included patients treated with a hybrid approach for de novo diffuse CAD between February 2017 and November 2021. Postprocedural quantitative flow ratio (QFR) was used to evaluate the functional results. The primary endpoint was procedural success rate. The secondary endpoints were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) (including peri-procedural MI), and target vessel revascularization. RESULTS: A total of 109 patients with 114 lesions were treated. DES and DCB were commonly used in larger proximal segments and smaller distal segments, respectively. The mean QFR value was 0.9 ± 0.1 and 105 patients (96.3%) had values >0.8 in all the treated vessels. Procedural success was achieved in 106 (97.2%) patients. No cases of cardiac death were reported at a median follow-up of 19 months. Spontaneous MI occurred in three (2.8%) patients and target vessel revascularization in six (5.5%) patients. Estimated 2-year rate of MACE excluding peri-procedural MI was higher in the group with lower QFR value (12.1 ± 5.7% vs. 5.6 ± 4.4%, log-rank p = .035) (cut-off value 0.9). CONCLUSION: Hybrid strategy is a promising approach for the treatment of de novo diffuse CAD. Postprocedural QFR has some implications for prognosis and may be helpful in guiding this approach.

Diffuse Coronary Artery Disease - A Challenge To Revascularize And The Role Of Coronary Endarterectomy.

Coronary endarterectomy is a useful adjunct procedure in patients with diffuse coronary artery disease when isolated coronary artery bypass grafting does not permit adequate revascularization. The primary aim of this procedure is to enable ample blood flow by removing the obstructing plaque. Herein we discuss the case of a middle-aged patient who underwent coronary endarterectomy.

Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Closed Traction CoronaryEndarterectomy: A Long-Term Single Center Study.

Background-Coronary endarterectomy (CEA) is an option for treating severely diffused coronary artery diseases; however, many surgeons avoid performing it due to its complexity and reported controversial results. Therefore, we aimed to review the results of patients undergoing CEA within coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods-This is a retrospective observational study evaluating the results of patients undergoing CEA within CABG surgery between March 2003 and February 2018. Follow-up via active personal and/or telephone interviews was performed to evaluate long-term clinical outcomes. The study endpoints included early postoperative incidence of myocardial infarction or cardiac mortality, long-term survival, and freedom from major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). Results-A total of 326 patients were included in this study for evaluation. The patients' mean age was 67 years; 88% were male, and most presented with three-vessel disease, reporting a mean SYNTAX score of 33.1 ± 12. Approximately 5.5% (n = 18) of the patients had undergone previous CABG surgery. A total of 394 CEAs within a mean of 4.3 ± 1.1 grafts per patient were performed. The indication for CEA was either totally (n = 111, 28.2%) or sub-totally (n = 283, 71.8%) occluded coronary arteries. Early results included perioperative myocardial infarction in eight (2.4%), stroke in eight (2.4%), and in-hospital mortality in thirteen (4.0%) patients. Long-term clinical follow-up reported mortality in 27.6% and overall incidence of MACCE in 41.4% of the patients at the ten-year follow-up. Conclusions-Patients with severe and diffuse CAD are difficult candidates for surgical revascularization. CEA offers an option to allow complete revascularization, even in the case of chronic occlusion, when the myocardium is still viable. The closed traction CEA technique presented here is our preferred method; it achieves satisfactory short- and long-term results.

Short and long-term outcomes after off-pump coronary endarterectomy stratified by different target vessels.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of off-pump coronary endarterectomy (CE) has been proven in patients with diffuse coronary artery disease (DCAD). However, the clinical benefits of of-pump CE stratified by different target vessels remain controversial. This retrospective study assessed the effect of the territory and number of CE on short- and long-term outcomes of DCAD. METHODS: From January 2012 to December 2014, 246 patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) + CE were included. The patients were grouped by the territory and number of CE. The primary endpoints were postoperative acute myocardial infarction (PMI) and long-term major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). RESULTS: Sixty-five patients (26.42%) were in the left anterior descending branch (LAD) group (CE on LAD), 134(54.47%) in the right coronary artery (RCA) group (CE on RCA), and 47(19.10%) in the multi-vessels group. PMI in the LAD group, RCA group, and multi-vessels group were 3.08%, 6.72%, and 14.89%, respectively (P = 0.08). Multi-vessels CE (OR = 9.042, 95%CI 2.198-37.193, P = 0.002), CE-plaque length ≥ 3 cm (OR = 6.247, 95%CI 2.162-18.052, P < 0.001), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (2DM) (OR = 4.072, 95%CI 1.598-10.374, P = 0.003) were independent risk factors of PMI. The long-term (mean 76 months) MACCE in the LAD group, RCA group, and multi-vessels group were 13.85%, 17.91%, and 10.64%, respectively (P = 0.552). Cox analysis indicated that PMI (HR = 7.113, 95%CI 3.129-16.171, P < 0.001) and Age ≥ 65 years (HR = 2.488, 95%CI 1.214-5.099, P = 0.013) increased the risk of long-term MACCE. CONCLUSIONS: Multi-vessel CE and CE-plaque length ≥ 3 cm significantly increased risk of PMI after OPCABG + CE, but the territory and number of CE did not affect long-term MACCE.

Reduced effects of cardiac extracorporeal shock wave therapy on angiogenesis and myocardial function recovery in patients with end-stage coronary artery and renal diseases.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence have shown cardiac extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) improve clinical symptoms and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) for patients with end-stage diffuse coronary artery disease (EnD-CAD) unsuitable for coronary interventions. However, little is known whether cardiac ESWT remains effective on symptomatic relief and improvement of LVEF for the EnD-CAD patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). METHODS: This was a small-scale prospective study. Between August 2016 and January 2019, a total of 16 subjects received cardiac ESWT for their EnD-CAD. They were divided into two groups according to ESRD or not, i.e., EnD-CAD group (n = 8) and EnD-CAD/ESRD group (n = 8). Clinical symptoms including angina and dyspnea, levels of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), LVEF, and adverse events were regularly followed up for one year to compare safety and efficacy of cardiac ESWT between the EnD-CAD patients with or without ESRD. RESULTS: All participants tolerated cardiac ESWT without any relevant side effects such as skin allergic reaction, local redness/tenderness or cardiac arrhythmia. There were similar baseline comorbidities and clinical features between two groups, but the EnD-CAD/ESRD group had significantly higher serum potassium level as well as lower renal function and lipid profile (all p-values <0.03). After cardiac ESWT, the patients in both groups had significant improvement in angina and dyspnea at 1 year (all p-values <0.03). However, the EnD-CAD/ESRD group did not have increase in either circulating EPC levels or LVEF at 6 months (mean change in LVEF: -4.00% ± 8.32%, p = 1.000). In contrast, the EnD-CAD group had gradually improving levels of circulating EPC surface markers and increased LV systolic function (mean change in LVEF: +4.87% ± 8.76%, p = 0.092). Notably, patients in the EnD-CAD/ESRD group suffered from high incidental clinical adverse events before and after enrollment into the ESWT study (75% vs. 25%, p = 0.132). CONCLUSION: Although cardiac ESWT provided improvement of clinical symptoms in the EnD-CAD patients, its long-term effects on the angiogenesis and LVEF were reduced for those high-risk patients with concomitant EnD-CAD and ESRD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: none.

Long-Term Outcomes of Coronary Endarterectomy in Patients With Complete Imaging Follow-Up.

Coronary endarterectomy (CEA) within coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is controversially discussed; however, CEA is considered as a last option for severely diseased coronary arteries. We therefore aimed to evaluate outcomes of patients undergoing CABG with CEA. We present a retrospective single surgeon's experience. Between 05/1999 and 12/2017, 426 patients underwent CABG with CEA. Follow-up imaging was proposed to all surviving patients, and only patients accepting were considered for this study. This resulted in a cohort of 112 patients within a mean postoperative interval of 53 ± 49 months. Study endpoints are graft patency, overall survival, and incidence of major-adverse-events. Mean patients' age was 65.5 ± 9.4 years; 90.2% were male. A total of 139 CEAs were performed (24 patients had more than 1 CEA-graft). Most of patients (91.1%) presented with 3-vessel disease. Mean syntax score was 29.8 ± 8.5. Four ± 1.3 grafts were constructed per patient; CEA target coronaries were either totally (31.9%) or subtotally (68.1%) occluded. CEA was performed at LAD- or RCA-territory (42.4% each) or LCX-territory (15.1%). Early postoperative outcomes reported stroke in 2 patients, myocardial infarction in 4 patients with 2 patients dying. Imaging follow-up reported 119 (out of 139) patent vs 20 occluded CEA-grafts (17 venous and 3 arterial). Long-term survival was 77.7% and freedom from major-adverse-events was 63.3% within mean follow-up time of 83 ± 67 months. Although CEA is a complex and second-line procedure, it offers a surgical option to allow myocardial revascularization in patients with diffuse or severe coronary artery disease. Good short- and long-term results can be achieved.

Intraoperative intra-aortic balloon pump improves 30-day outcomes of patients undergoing extensive coronary endarterectomy.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) has been proven in high-risk patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, data on the timing and benefits of IABP support in diffuse coronary artery disease after CABG combined with coronary endarterectomy (CE) remain scarce. This retrospective study assessed the effect of intraoperative or postoperative IABP on 30-day outcomes of off-pump CABG+CE. METHODS: From January 2012 to December 2018, 546 patients undergone off-pump CABG+CE were divided into control group (n = 437) and IABP group (n = 109). Risk factors for 30-day outcomes were evaluated. Subgroup analysis from IABP group was conducted to identify the effect of timing IABP on 30-day outcomes. RESULTS: CE on left anterior descending branch of coronary artery (LAD) (OR = 3.079, 95% CI 1.077-8.805, P = 0.036), CE with≥2 vessels (OR = 9.123, 95% CI 3.179-26.033, P < 0.001) and length of atherosclerotic plaque ≥3 cm (OR = 16.017, 95% CI 5.941-43.183, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for postoperative acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 30-day mortality. Comparing with intraoperative IABP support, postoperative IABP support (OR = 3.987, 95% CI1.194-13.317, P = 0.025) was closely associated with postoperative AMI and 30-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: For patients undergone off-pump CABG and extensive CE (CE on LAD, CE ≥2 vessels and length of atherosclerotic plaque ≥3 cm), intraoperative IABP support may improve 30-day outcomes.

Intracoronary Injection of Autologous CD34+ Cells Improves One-Year Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Patients with Diffuse Coronary Artery Disease and Preserved Cardiac Performance-A Randomized, Open-Label, Controlled Phase II Clinical Trial.

This phase II randomized controlled trial tested whether intracoronary autologous CD34+ cell therapy could further improve left ventricular (LV) systolic function in patients with diffuse coronary artery disease (CAD) with relatively preserved LV ejection fraction (defined as LVEF >40%) unsuitable for coronary intervention. Between December 2013 and November 2017, 60 consecutive patients were randomly allocated into group 1 (CD34+ cells, 3.0 × 107/vessel/n = 30) and group 2 (optimal medical therapy; n = 30). All patients were followed for one year, and preclinical and clinical parameters were compared between two groups. Three-dimensional echocardiography demonstrated no significant difference in LVEF between groups 1 and 2 (54.9% vs. 51.0%, respectively, p = 0.295) at 12 months. However, compared with baseline, 12-month LVEF was significantly increased in group 1 (p < 0.001) but not in group 2 (p = 0.297). From baseline, there were gradual increases in LVEF in group 1 compared to those in group 2 at 1-month, 3-months, 6-months and 12 months (+1.6%, +2.2%, +2.9% and +4.6% in the group 1 vs. -1.6%, -1.5%, -1.4% and -0.9% in the group 2; all p < 0.05). Additionally, one-year angiogenesis (2.8 ± 0.9 vs. 1.3 ± 1.1), angina (0.4 ± 0.8 vs. 1.8 ± 0.9) and HF (0.7 ± 0.8 vs. 1.8 ± 0.6) scores were significantly improved in group 1 compared to those in group 2 (all p < 0.001). In conclusion, autologous CD34+ cell therapy gradually and effectively improved LV systolic function in patients with diffuse CAD and preserved LVEF who were non-candidates for coronary intervention (Trial registration: ISRCTN26002902 on the website of ISRCTN registry).

Baseline factors identified for the prediction of good responders in patients with end-stage diffuse coronary artery disease undergoing intracoronary CD34+ cell therapy.

BACKGROUND: Treating patients with end-stage diffuse coronary artery disease (EnD-CAD) unsuitable for coronary intervention remains a clinical challenge. They usually express refractory angina and have a high risk of mortality. Although growing data have indicated cell therapy is an alternative solution to medical or invasive therapy, there are still lacking useful markers to predict whether heart function will improve in the EnD-CAD patients who underwent circulatory-derived CD34+ cell therapy. By utilizing the baseline variables and results from our previous phase I/II clinical trials, the aim of this study tried to elucidate the variables predictive of the "good response" to CD34+ cell therapy. METHODS: This retrospective study included 38 patients in phase I clinical trial (2011-2014), and 30 patients in phase II clinical trial (2013-2017). These patients were categorized into "good responders" and "non-responders" according to their 1-year improvement of LVEF ≥ 7.0% or < 7.0% after intracoronary CD34+ cell therapy. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were performed to identify potential independent predictors of a good responder to cell therapy, followed by Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) test for goodness of fit and prediction power. RESULTS: Among baseline data, multivariate analysis demonstrated that the history of a former smoker was independently predictive of good responders (p = 0.006). On the other hand, male gender, the baseline Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina score ≥ 3, and grades of LV diastolic dysfunction ≥ 2 were significantly negative predictors of good responders (all p < 0.01). After administration of subcutaneous granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), a higher post-G-CSF neutrophil count in addition to the above four baseline variables also played crucial roles in early prediction of good response to CD34+ cell therapy for EnD-CAD (all p < 0.03). The H-L test displayed a good prediction power with sensitivity 83.3%, specificity 85.3%, and accuracy 84.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Using the results of our phase I/II clinical trials, previous smoking habit, female sex, lower grades of angina score, and diastolic dysfunction were identified to be independently predictive of "good response" to CD34+ cell therapy in the patients with EnD-CAD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This is a retrospective analysis based on phase I ( ISRCTN72853206 ) and II ( ISRCTN26002902 ) clinical trials.

Treating Very Long Coronary Artery Lesions in the Contemporary Drug-Eluting-Stent Era: Single Long 48 mm Stent Versus Two Overlapping Stents Showed Comparable Clinical Outcomes.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of diffuse coronary artery disease (CAD) is associated with higher adverse clinical events. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of patients treated with single long 48 mm contemporary drug eluting stents (SL-DES) versus two overlapping contemporary drug eluting stents (OL-DES) for very-long CAD. METHODS/MATERIALS: We analyzed the clinical outcome of 117 patients with SL-DES and 101 patients with OL-DES who underwent PCI between 1st July 2013 to 31st December 2016. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (TLF) at two years, defined as a composite of cardiac mortality, target vessel myocardial infarction and target lesion revascularization. RESULTS: Mean age was 60.8 ±â€¯10.5 years for SL-DES group and 60.5 ±â€¯11.9 years in the OL-DES group. SL-DES has longer mean lesion length as compared to OL-DES (43.1 ±â€¯3.7 mm vs. 41.83 ±â€¯2.3 mm p = 0.003). There was no difference in TLF at two years between SL-DES and OL-DES (5.3% vs. 6.4%, adjusted odds ratio 1.43, 95% CI 0.50-4.11). There was one case of probable ST in each group. Contrast volume usage was lower for SL-DES than OL-DES in patients who underwent single vessel PCI. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of very-long CAD showed comparable TLF at two years for SL-DES versus OL-DES. Our results suggest that both strategies are reasonable treatment options for patients with diffuse CAD.

Surgical management of diffusely diseased coronary arteries.

PURPOSE: To analyze the outcomes of long segment coronary anastomoses in patients with diffusely diseased coronary arteries and compare them with medically managed patients. METHODS: We retrospectively studied patients with diffusely diseased coronary arteries who underwent complete revascularization with long segment coronary reconstruction (> 2 cm in length) from February 2015 to November 2016. During the same time, patients who opted medical management for diffuse coronary artery disease were also studied. RESULTS: Forty-one patients underwent long segment coronary anastomoses for diffuse coronary artery disease with either left internal thoracic artery (LITA) or saphenous vein conduits. In 15 (36.58%) patients, the anastomosis length was more than 4 cm. In 41 patients, left anterior descending (LAD) artery had long segment anastomosis and in four patients, posterior descending artery (PDA) had long segment anastomosis. Twenty-one patients were operated off-pump and the rest were operated on cardiopulmonary bypass. The post-operative recovery of all the patients was uneventful. There were no procedural complications. There was one mortality due to cerebrovascular accident (2.43%). During the study period, 50 patients with diffuse coronary artery disease were under medical management. In the medically managed group, there were seven death during the follow-up, with mortality rate of 14%. CONCLUSION: Patients with diffuse disease coronary diseases, who are surgically managed, have a better outcome when compared to the medically managed patients with acceptable morbidity and mortality.

Two-year clinical outcomes of the "Italian diffuse/multivessel disease absorb prospective registry" (IT-DISAPPEARS).

BACKGROUND: Large prospective studies on the use of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) for diffuse coronary artery disease are lacking. IT DISAPPEARS is a large multicentre prospective registry investigating the short and long-term outcomes of everolimus-eluting BVS in patients with long coronary lesions and/or multivessel coronary artery disease (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02004730). We hereby report the 2-year outcomes of the registry. METHODS: We enrolled 1002 patients with complex lesions undergoing implantation of 2040 BVS with a prespecified technique including predilation, correct sizing, and postdilation with non-compliant balloons. The primary endpoint was the rate of device-oriented composite endpoint (DOCE), consisting of cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction (MI), and ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularization (TLR). Secondary endpoints included: 1) patient-oriented composite endpoint (POCE), consisting of all-cause mortality, all infarctions and all revascularisations; 2) definite/probable scaffold thrombosis. RESULTS: Clinical presentation was an acute coronary syndrome in 59.8% of patients. Total BVS length implanted was 47 ±â€¯22 mm. Postdilation of all scaffolds per patient was performed in 96.8%, while optimal implantation as per study guidelines was applied in 71.4%. Through 2-year follow-up, DOCE occurred in 9.5% of patients (cardiac death 0.6%, target vessel-related MI 5.3%, TLR 6.6%). The rate of POCE was 16.6% and of scaffold thrombosis 1.1%. Female gender, total length of coronary lesions, treatment of bifurcation lesions and use of 2.5 mm scaffolds were independent predictors of DOCE. CONCLUSIONS: The 2-year results of IT-DISAPPEARS show that BVS may yield acceptable clinical outcomes in patients with complex coronary lesions when the implantation technique is appropriate.

Diffuse coronary artery disease among other atherosclerotic plaque characteristics by coronary computed tomography angiography for predicting coronary vessel-specific ischemia by fractional flow reserve.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) permits effective identification of diffuse CAD and atherosclerotic plaque characteristics (APCs). We sought to examine the usefulness of diffuse CAD beyond luminal narrowing and APCs by CCTA to detect vessel-specific ischemia. METHODS: 407 vessels (n = 252 patients) from the DeFACTO diagnostic accuracy study were retrospectively analyzed for percent plaque diffuseness (PD). Percent plaque diffuseness (PD) was obtained on per-vessel level by summation of all contiguous lesion lengths and divided by total vessel length, and was logarithmically transformed (log percent PD). Additional CCTA measures of stenosis severity including minimal lumen diameter (MLD), and APCs, such as positive remodeling (PR) and low attenuation plaque (LAP), were also included. Vessel-specific ischemia was defined as fractional flow reserve (FFR) ≤0.80. Multivariable regression, discrimination by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and category-free net reclassification improvement (cNRI) were assessed. RESULTS: Backward stepwise logistic regression revealed that for every unit increase in log percent PD, there was a 58% (95% CI: 1.01-2.48, p = 0.048) rise in the odds of having an abnormal FFR, independent of stenosis severity and APCs. The AUC indicated no further improvement in discriminatory ability after adding log percent PD to the final parsimonious model of MLD, PR, and LAP (AUC difference: 0.003, 95% CI: -0.003-0.010, p = 0.33). Conversely, adding log percent PD to the base model of MLD, PR, and LAP improved cNRI by 0.21 (95% CI: 0.01-0.41, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Accounting for diffuse CAD may help improve the accuracy of CCTA for detecting vessel-specific ischemia.

Epidemiology and pathogenesis of diffuse obstructive coronary artery disease: the role of arterial stiffness, shear stress, monocyte subsets and circulating microparticles.

Despite falling age-adjusted mortality rates coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Advanced diffuse CAD is becoming an important entity of modern cardiology as more patients with historical revascularisation no longer have suitable anatomy for additional procedures. Advances in the treatment of diffuse obstructive CAD are hampered by a poor understanding of its development. Although the likelihood of developing clinically significant (obstructive) CAD is linked to traditional risk factors, the morphology of obstructive CAD among individuals is highly variable - some patients have diffuse stenotic disease, while others have a focal stenosis. This is challenging to explain in mechanistic terms as vascular endothelium is equally exposed to injury stimulants. Patients with diffuse disease are at high risk of adverse outcomes, particularly if unsuitable for revascularisation. We searched multiple electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Database) and reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis and prognosis relating to advanced diffuse CAD with particular focus on the role of endothelial shear stress, large artery stiffness, monocyte subsets and circulating microparticles. Key messages Although traditional CAD risk factors correlate strongly with disease severity, significant individual variation in disease morphology exists. Advanced, diffuse CAD is difficult to treat effectively and can significantly impair quality of life and increases mortality. The pathophysiology associated with the progression of CAD is the result of complex maladaptive interaction between the endothelium, cells of the immune system and patterns of blood flow.

Compensatory Enlargement of Ossabaw Miniature Swine Coronary Arteries in Diffuse Atherosclerosis.

Studies in human and non-human primates have confirmed the compensatory enlargement or positive remodeling (Glagov phenomenon) of coronary vessels in the presence of focal stenosis. To our knowledge, this is the first study to document arterial enlargement in a metabolic syndrome animal model with diffuse coronary artery disease (DCAD) in the absence of severe focal stenosis. Two different groups of Ossabaw miniature pigs were fed a high fat atherogenic diet for 4 months (Group I) and 12 months (Group II), respectively. Group I (6 pigs) underwent contrast enhanced computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) at baseline and after 4 months of high fat diet, whereas Group II (7 pigs) underwent only IVUS at 12 months of high fat diet. IVUS measurements of the left anterior descending (LAD), left circumflex (LCX) and right coronary (RCA) arteries in Group I showed an average increase in their lumen cross-sectional areas (CSA) of 25.8%, 11.4%, and 43.4%, respectively, as compared to baseline. The lumen CSA values of LAD in Group II were found to be between the baseline and 4 months values in Group I. IVUS and CCTA measurements showed a similar trend and positive correlation. Fractional flow reserve (FFR) was 0.91±0.07 at baseline and 0.93±0.05 at 4 months with only 2.2%, 1.6% and 1% stenosis in the LAD, LCX and RCA, respectively. The relation between percent stenosis and lumen CSA shows a classical Glagov phenomenon in this animal model of DCAD.

Total arterial anaortic off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting for diffuse coronary disease - A case report.

Surgical treatment of diffuse coronary artery disease remains challenging. We present here a diabetic patient, with diffuse coronary disease, revascularized using total arterial anaortic off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. He received total nine distal grafts. He continues to be asymptomatic after more than 2 years. CT angiography follow-up shows eight out of nine grafts are patent. Anaortic off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting has the least incidence of stroke and arterial grafts have the best long-term patency rate. This is the first case report of nine arterial bypass graft performed off-pump using both internal mammary and both radial arteries. Anaortic total arterial off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting has achieved excellent intermediate term result in this patient of diffuse coronary artery disease.