Direct right ventricular Impella LD implantation enables postoperative ambulation and may avoid sternal re-entry.

Right ventricular assist devices (RVADs) typically require groin cannulation or sternal re-entry which can be avoided by direct pulmonary artery implantation with an Impella. We report the first use of the Impella LD as a directly implanted RVAD.

Distal Embolization During Percutaneous Subclavian Artery Intervention.

Distal embolization due to atherothrombotic debris during subclavian artery interventions is extremely rare and can usually be managed conservatively. Herein, we describe a case of acute hand ischemia due to massive distal embolization during balloon angioplasty and stenting of a left subclavian artery chronic total occlusion. This limb-threatening complication was effectively treated with rescue surgical thrombectomy.

Percutaneous Decompression of the Left Ventricle in Cardiogenic Shock Patients on Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

OBJECTIVE: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is an important therapeutic option for patients with refractory cardiogenic shock. Adequate decompression of the left ventricular in these patients is a key predictor of successful recovery. The currently available percutaneous decompression techniques are limited by their partial unloading capability. METHOD: We describe a series of four consecutive patients with refractory cardiogenic shock in whom adequate left ventricular decompression was achieved by integrating a transseptally placed left ventricular cannula into the existing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit. RESULTS: From May to June 2015, four consecutive patients underwent transvenous transseptal left ventricular decompression with a 22 French cannula that was integrated into the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit in a Y fashion. The mean age was 47.5 ± 20 years. All patients had refractory shock, and three patients failed prior decompression with an intra-aortic balloon pump. Fluoroscopy time was 12.15 ± 2.6 minutes. No procedural complications were noted. All patients had significant reduction in their pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and resolution of their pulmonary edema. Two patients died during the hospitalization due to sepsis and/or multiorgan failure. CONCLUSION: Antegrade transseptal left ventricular decompression is feasible in patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and persistent pulmonary edema.

Restenosis after carotid artery stenting and endarterectomy: a secondary analysis of CREST, a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In the Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy versus Stenting Trial (CREST), the composite primary endpoint of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death during the periprocedural period or ipsilateral stroke thereafter did not differ between carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic or asymptomatic carotid stenosis. A secondary aim of this randomised trial was to compare the composite endpoint of restenosis or occlusion. METHODS: Patients with stenosis of the carotid artery who were asymptomatic or had had a transient ischaemic attack, amaurosis fugax, or a minor stroke were eligible for CREST and were enrolled at 117 clinical centres in the USA and Canada between Dec 21, 2000, and July 18, 2008. In this secondary analysis, the main endpoint was a composite of restenosis or occlusion at 2 years. Restenosis and occlusion were assessed by duplex ultrasonography at 1, 6, 12, 24, and 48 months and were defined as a reduction in diameter of the target artery of at least 70%, diagnosed by a peak systolic velocity of at least 3·0 m/s. Studies were done in CREST-certified laboratories and interpreted at the Ultrasound Core Laboratory (University of Washington). The frequency of restenosis was calculated by Kaplan-Meier survival estimates and was compared during a 2-year follow-up period. We used proportional hazards models to assess the association between baseline characteristics and risk of restenosis. Analyses were per protocol. CREST is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00004732. FINDINGS: 2191 patients received their assigned treatment within 30 days of randomisation and had eligible ultrasonography (1086 who had carotid artery stenting, 1105 who had carotid endarterectomy). In 2 years, 58 patients who underwent carotid artery stenting (Kaplan-Meier rate 6·0%) and 62 who had carotid endarterectomy (6·3%) had restenosis or occlusion (hazard ratio [HR] 0·90, 95% CI 0·63-1·29; p=0·58). Female sex (1·79, 1·25-2·56), diabetes (2·31, 1·61-3·31), and dyslipidaemia (2·07, 1·01-4·26) were independent predictors of restenosis or occlusion after the two procedures. Smoking predicted an increased rate of restenosis after carotid endarterectomy (2·26, 1·34-3·77) but not after carotid artery stenting (0·77, 0·41-1·42). INTERPRETATION: Restenosis and occlusion were infrequent and rates were similar up to 2 years after carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting. Subsets of patients could benefit from early and frequent monitoring after revascularisation. FUNDING: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and Abbott Vascular Solutions.

Time dependence of life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias after coronary revascularization in MADIT-CRT.

BACKGROUND: Coronary revascularization (CR) may confer electrical stability in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. However, data regarding the effect of CR on the development of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in this population are limited. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between CR and arrhythmic risk in postmyocardial infarction (post-MI) patients with left ventricular dysfunction. METHODS: The risk for life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias (defined as a first appropriate defibrillator therapy for ventricular tachycardia [VT]/ventricular fibrillation [VF] or death) was compared between post-MI patients with and those without prior CR (n = 612 and 147, respectively) enrolled in the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial-Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (MADIT-CRT). RESULTS: The 3-year cumulative rate of VT/VF or death was significantly higher among patients without prior CR (42%) than in patients who underwent prior CR (32%, P = .02). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that patients without prior CR had 48% increased risk (P = .01) for VT/VF or death. Risk reduction associated with CR was related to elapsed time from CR, assessed both as a categorical variable (tertiles for time from CR: ≥7 years, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.93, P = .001; 1.5-7 years, HR = 1.70, P = .01 vs <1.5 years) and as a continuous measure (4%, P = .002, increased risk for VT/VF or death per 1-year increment of elapsed time from CR). The effect of CR on arrhythmic risk was similar in patients treated with a defibrillator alone or when combined with cardiac resynchronization therapy. CONCLUSION: Post-MI patients with left ventricular dysfunction who undergo CR experience a time-dependent reduction in the risk for subsequent life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias.

Potential pitfalls of renal angiography: a case of atypical fibromuscular dysplasia.

Although angiography remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis, renovascular disease can at times present with unusual patterns that may be difficult to detect. The authors present a case in which an initial renal angiogram failed to identify the presence of severe disease involving both a main and accessory renal artery. Repeat angiography coupled with the use of adjunctive catheter-based techniques including translesional pressure gradient determination and intravascular ultrasound with virtual histology imaging revealed the presence of atypical fibromuscular dysplasia that was treated with good clinical results. The case highlights the importance of performing careful and complete renal angiography, including imaging of smaller accessory renal arteries, and describes several readily available catheter-based techniques that can be useful in elucidating the physiological significance and etiology of renal artery stenosis.

Patient selection for carotid stenting versus endarterectomy: a systematic review.

Carotid artery stenting has emerged as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy for the treatment of severe extracranial carotid stenosis in patients with anatomic or clinical factors that increase their risk of complications with surgery, yet there remains a substantial amount of variability and uncertainty in clinical practice in the referral of patients for stenting vs endarterectomy. By undertaking a thorough review of the literature, we sought to better define which subsets of patients with "high-risk" features would be likely to preferentially benefit from carotid stenting or carotid endarterectomy. Although only a single randomized trial comparing the outcomes of carotid stenting with distal protection and endarterectomy has been completed, a wealth of observational data was reviewed. Relative to endarterectomy, the results of carotid stenting seem favorable in the setting of several anatomic conditions that render surgery technically difficult, such as restenosis after prior endarterectomy, prior radical neck surgery, and previous radiation therapy involving the neck. The results of stenting are also favorable among patients with severe concomitant cardiac disease. Carotid endarterectomy, alternatively, seems to represent the procedure of choice among patients 80 years of age or older in the absence of other high-risk features. Overall, existing data support the concept that carotid stenting and endarterectomy represent complementary rather than competing modes of therapy. Pending the availability of randomized trial data to help guide procedural selection, which is likely many years away, an objective understanding of existing data is valuable to help select the optimal mode of revascularization therapy for patients with severe carotid artery disease who are at heightened surgical risk.

In-hospital mortality among women undergoing contemporary elective percutaneous coronary intervention: a reexamination of the gender gap.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have indicated that, compared with men, women are at increased risk for in-hospital mortality following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); however, angioplasty techniques and mortality rates have improved since earlier reports. HYPOTHESIS: We sought to reevaluate and explore further the relationship between gender and angioplasty outcomes in contemporary "real world" practice. METHODS: The influence of gender and other covariates on in-hospital mortality and other adverse events among all patients who underwent elective coronary angioplasty in New York State from 1999 to 2001 (n = 106,262) was examined. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality rates for elective angioplasty were low; however, women demonstrated a two-fold mortality excess compared with men (0.6 vs. 0.3%, p < 0.0001). Women were older and more likely than men to demonstrate certain higher-risk features (heart failure, class III-IV angina, renal failure, vascular disease); however, men were more likely to have depressed ejection fraction, prior myocardial infarction, and prior coronary revascularization. Using multivariate analysis adjusting for clinical risk factors, gender remained an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality at all ages. Women were also more likely to experience nonfatal adverse events following PCI, including more frequent need for emergency bypass surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Despite improvements in angioplasty outcomes with time, women remain at significantly higher risk of in-hospital death than men after elective PCI. This increased mortality is observed in every age group, even after adjusting for other significant comorbidities.

Simulator assessment of innate endovascular aptitude versus empirically correct performance.

OBJECTIVE: Prior work has established that performance on an endovascular simulator incorporating tactile feedback (haptics) correlates with previous endovascular experience and can be improved by training. This study was designed to test the ability to define and measure innate endovascular aptitude and empirically correct performance and to determine whether these are two different things. METHODS: Subjects ranging in endovascular skill level from novice to expert were surveyed to determine video game experience and skill, endovascular level of training, and endovascular experience. They were then tested by using a standard protocol requiring timed advancement of a catheter and wire sequentially into each of three vessels arising from a simulated type I arch. Recorded trials were independently and blindly scored by two experienced endovascular faculty members by using a modification of a previously validated scale (Modified Reznick Scale; MRS). Summed scores were analyzed by frequency analysis and categorized as satisfactory and unsatisfactory on the basis of a clear bimodal distribution. Categorical outcome, time to task completion, and other variables were analyzed by means of linear regression, analysis of variance, and Welch modified two-sample t tests, as indicated. RESULTS: A total of 61 subjects were enrolled: 42% students, 8% technicians, 19% surgeons, 13% cardiologists, and 18% radiologists. Of these, 62% were considered novices and 30% experts on the basis of previous experience; 56% of subjects worked in an endovascular-related occupation. MRS scores were highly correlated between raters (P < .0001) and showed a clear bimodal distribution, with subjects in any endovascular occupation (including technicians) scoring significantly better than all others (P < .0001). Hours of video games played per week were correlated highly with completion times (P < .001) and MRS scores (P < .001). Measures of formal training (number of endovascular cases and occupation) correlated highly with completion times (all P < .03) and MRS scores (all P < .008). In comparing completion times vs MRS scores, three groups were apparent: unskilled-inexperienced, skilled-inexperienced, and skilled-experienced, corresponding primarily to senior subjects without endovascular experience, younger subjects without endovascular experience, and formally trained endovascular physicians, respectively. Those judged intermediate in aptitude reduced times to the lowest possible level before improving their MRS scores. CONCLUSIONS: Although inherently subjective, the MRS yields reproducible scores that correlate with endovascular experience and formal training. Experts and novices with extensive video game experience achieve short completion times, whereas high MRS scores are achieved only by formally trained subjects. Innate endovascular aptitude and empirically correct performance may be two separate things, and aptitude may be acquirable through (or identified by) extensive nonmedical video game experience.

The influence of public reporting of outcome data on medical decision making by physicians.

BACKGROUND: Public disclosure of physician-specific performance data is becoming increasingly common. However, the influence that public reporting of outcome data has on the delivery of care by physicians who are being assessed is not well understood. METHODS: Since 1994, the New York State Department of Health has collected and periodically published observed and risk-adjusted patient mortality rates for all interventional cardiologists practicing coronary angioplasty in the state. To assess the influence that these reports exert on the physicians being monitored, a questionnaire was administered in an anonymous manner to all interventional cardiologists included in the most recent report. RESULTS: The vast majority (79%) of interventional cardiologists agreed or strongly agreed that the publication of mortality statistics has, in certain instances, influenced their decision regarding whether to perform angioplasty on individual patients. Physicians expressed an increased reluctance to intervene in critically ill patients with high expected mortality rates. Among the respondents, 83% agreed or strongly agreed that patients who might benefit from angioplasty may not receive the procedure as a result of public reporting of physician-specific patients' mortality rates. Additionally, 85% believed that the risk-adjustment model used in the Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) in New York State 1998-2000 report is not sufficient to avoid punishing physicians who perform higher-risk interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Public reporting of physician-specific outcome data may influence physicians to withhold procedures from patients at higher risk, even when physicians believe that the procedure might be beneficial. This phenomenon should be recognized in the design and administration of physician performance profiles.

Use of computer simulation for determining endovascular skill levels in a carotid stenting model.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether performance on a simulator model of carotid artery stenting correlates with previous endovascular experience and to assess the effects of repetition and training. METHODS: Participants were stratified to untrained and advanced skill groups on the basis of number of endovascular procedures previously performed. Baseline performance was assessed by means of a pretest, and participants were randomized to practice and no-practice groups. Practice consisted of a 30-minute to 60-minute proctored session before taking a final test; those in the no-practice group proceeded directly to the final test without this session. Primary outcomes were completion of a standardized protocol and the length of time needed to complete all steps. RESULTS: Twenty-nine subjects (16 untrained, 13 advanced) participated fully in the study. Ninety-two percent of participants in the advanced group successfully completed the pretest, versus 63% in the untrained group (P = .09); mean time to successful completion was 29.9 +/- 4.8 (mean +/- SD) versus 48.0 +/- 9.9 minutes, respectively (P < .001). Subjects who received no practice did not significantly improve their completion times between pretest and final test, whereas those who received practice did (novice, 47.9 +/- 7.0 minutes vs 24.5 +/- 2.9 minutes, P < .001; advanced, 29.6 +/- 3.1 minutes vs 20.2 +/- 4.1 minutes, P < .001). The group without previous training had significantly more time improvement from training than did the advanced group. Exit survey results showed that those who had the opportunity to practice more commonly believed that the simulator increased their endovascular skills and interest in vascular surgery (both P < .01 vs untrained group). CONCLUSIONS: Performance on the carotid stenting simulator correlated with previous endovascular experience. Although both novice and advanced groups improved their time after a 30-minute to 60-minute proctored training session, improvement in the novice group was greater than that in the advanced group, which suggests that novices may benefit disproportionately from this type of training.

Relationship between intermittent claudication, inflammation, thrombosis, and recurrent cardiac events among survivors of myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Among coronary disease patients, concomitant peripheral arterial disease is a potent risk factor for future cardiac events and mortality. We sought to determine clinical and biochemical markers that might better elucidate the relationship between coronary and peripheral arterial disease. METHODS: Two months after an index myocardial infarction, 1045 patients provided detailed medical histories and underwent blood testing for selected hemostatic, lipid, and inflammatory markers. Patients were then followed up prospectively for a mean of 26 months. RESULTS: Compared with individuals without intermittent claudication (n = 966), those with claudication (n = 78) (information was unavailable for 1 individual) were significantly older and demonstrated an increased frequency of diabetes mellitus, tobacco use, prior cardiac and cerebrovascular events, and depressed left ventricular function. Individuals with claudication were less likely to receive beta-blocker therapy after the index infarction. Individuals with claudication had evidence of enhanced procoagulant and proinflammatory states manifested by relative elevations in plasma fibrinogen, D-dimer, C-reactive protein, and serum amyloid A concentrations. During follow-up, the presence of claudication was associated with an independent 2-fold increase in the combined end point of death or nonfatal cardiac event (38.5% vs 17.8%, P =.001) and a 5-fold increase in cardiac mortality (19.2% vs 3.6%, P =.001). Patients with intermittent claudication who were not treated with beta-blockers had a significant 3-fold mortality excess relative to those receiving beta-blockers. CONCLUSIONS: Following myocardial infarction, the added presence of intermittent claudication is associated with heightened procoagulant and proinflammatory states and an underuse of beta-blocker therapy and is a strong independent predictor of recurrent cardiovascular events.