Magnetic-guided percutaneous coronary intervention enabled by two-dimensional guidewire steering and three-dimensional virtual angioscopy: initial experiences in daily clinical practice.

AIMS: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been broadly established and often includes highly complex stenoses that require difficult navigation. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of a new magnetic navigation system (MNS) to enable intracoronary guidewire deployment and PCI in daily clinical practice and to compare the 2D guidance to the virtual 3D angioscopy feature. METHODS AND RESULTS: We included 30 consecutive patients (pt) in whom 36 coronary arteries were PCI targets. Patients were randomized to guidewire steering by either 2D guidance or virtual 3D angioscopy (33%). In 31/36 (86%) interventions the MNS guidewire successfully passed the culprit stenosis and the procedure was accomplished by PCI. In 5/30 pt an MNS multivessel intervention was performed. Three of 5 unsuccessful procedures failed due to an unsuccessful recanalization of a subtotal chronic occlusion including 1 pt who required surgical intervention. In 2/36 procedures the magnetic guided intervention was performed effectively after prior conventional failure related to complex anatomy. The contrast medium amount needed to position the magnetic guidewire was 60 +/- 101 mL in 2D accomplished interventions vs. 14 +/- 15 mL in 3D procedures (p < 0.05). In 3 pt the MNS did not harm the implanted pacemaker or defibrillator system. CONCLUSION: Magnetic guided PCI is useful in selected patients. In our experience, success is less likely in evidence of a subtotal occlusion.

[Multi-slice CT of aortocoronary venous bypasses and mammary artery bypasses: evaluation of bypasses and their anastomoses]. / Mehrzeilen-Spiral-CT von aortokoronaren Venenbypässen und Mammaria-interna-Bypässen: Beurteilung der Bypässe und ihrer Anastomosen.

OBJECTIVE: To assess aortocoronary grafts and internal mammary artery bypasses by means of EKG-triggered contrast-enhanced multi-slice spiral CT, and to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of this new imaging modality. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 59 patients with up to 5 aortocoronary grafts and/or internal mammary artery bypasses per patient were examined with regard to bypass morphology, the free passage, and the proximal as well as the distal anastomoses using multislice computed tomography. Axial source images were calculated by means of retrospective triggering at different diastolic delay times, and were postprocessed in several planes with the multiplanar volume reconstruction (MPVR) software. RESULTS: On the pre-condition that data sets were acquired at sinus rhythm and at a heart rate lower than 65/min, aortocoronary grafts and internal mammary artery bypasses could be depicted in adequate diagnostic quality in about 80% of all cases with contrast-enhanced multi-slice spiral CT. Both, the free passage of the bypasses as well as the morphology of the proximal anastomoses were sufficiently assessed with multiplanar volume reconstruction (MPVR), whereas the distal anastomoses couldn't be depicted sufficiently in 20% of all cases. CONCLUSION: As a non-invasive method, contrast-enhanced and ECG-triggered multi-slice spiral computed tomography has gained diagnostic potential for the accurate visualization of aortocoronary grafts and the internal mammary artery bypasses.