Measuring Procedure and Maximal Hyperemia in the Assessment of Fractional Flow Reserve for Superficial Femoral Artery Disease.

AIM: The optimal fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement method for superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions remains to be established. We clarified the optimal measuring procedure for FFR for SFA lesions and investigated the necessary dose of papaverine for inducing maximal hyperemia in SFA lesions. METHODS: Forty-eight patients with SFA lesions who underwent measurement of peripheral FFR (pFFR: distal mean pressure divided by proximal mean pressure) after endovascular treatment by the contralateral femoral crossover approach were prospectively enrolled. In the pFFR measurement, a guide sheath was placed on top of the common iliac bifurcation and pressure equalization was performed. After advancing the pressure wire distal to the SFA lesion, sequential papaverine administration selectively to the affected common iliac artery was performed. RESULTS: There were no symptoms, electrocardiogram changes, and significant pressure drops at the guide sheath tip with increasing papaverine dose. pFFR changes following 20, 30, and 40 mg of papaverine were 0.87±0.10, 0.84±0.10, and 0.84±0.10, respectively (P＜0.001). Although not significantly different, pFFR decreased more in several patients at 30 mg of papaverine than at 20 mg. The pFFR at 40 mg of papaverine was almost similar to that at 30 mg of papaverine. The necessary papaverine dose was not changed according to sex and number of run-off vessels. CONCLUSIONS: The contralateral femoral crossover approach is useful in FFR measurement for SFA lesions, and maximal hyperemia is induced by 30 mg of papaverine.

Utility of new classification based on clinical and lesional factors after self-expandable nitinol stenting in the superficial femoral artery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of clinical classification schemes that assess primary patency after self-expandable nitinol stent in the superficial femoral artery (SFA). METHODS: This study was a multicenter retrospective study of prospective databases. From April 2004 to December 2009, 1001 limbs (807 patients) that underwent successful nitinol stent implantation for de novo SFA lesions were identified and analyzed. Primary patency was defined as treated vessel without restenosis (defined as >2.4 of peak systolic velocity ratio by duplex) and repeat revascularization. Six items were included in the classification: female, diabetes, dialysis, critical limb ischemia (CLI), lesion length > 150 mm, and poor runoff; the FeDCLIP score. A lesion length >150 mm was scored as 2 points. The others were assigned 1 point each. The scores of 0 to 2, 3 to 4, and ≥5 points were classified as low-, moderate-, and high-risk patients, respectively. Outcome measures were primary and secondary patency and all-cause mortality up to 6 years in each risk group. RESULTS: The mean follow-up interval was 26.8 ± 14.6 months. Primary patencies were 85.7%, 77.3%, and 74.2% in the low-risk group; 71.5%, 54.7%, and 51.9% in the moderate-risk group; and 53.0%, 24.3%, and 20.8% in the high-risk group at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The secondary patencies were 94.6%, 92.3%, and 90.8% in the low-risk group; 89.5%, 83.1%, and 83.1% in the moderate-risk group; and 82.7%, 73.1%, and 73.1% in the high-risk group at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. There were significant differences in primary and secondary patency among the three risk groups (P < .0001 and P < .0001, respectively). Overall survival rates were 96.8%, 89.5%, and 81.8% in the low-risk group; 91.5%, 74.4%, and 68.7% in the moderate-risk group; and 78.2%, 63.2%, and 48.7% in the high-risk group at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. There were also significant differences in mortality (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: New classification schemes based on FeDCLIP score were useful for risk stratification in vessel patency and mortality after self-expandable nitinol stenting for SFA disease.

Usefulness of fractional flow reserve guidance for PCI in acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives. After conventional balloon angioplasty (PTCA) for acute myocardial infarction in 77 patients (77 lesions), we used myocardial fractional flow reserve (FFR(myo)) to assess the endpoint of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to determine whether adjunctive stenting was required. Of these, a total of 37 lesions with FFR > or = 0.94 after PTCA received no further treatment (FFR-PTCA group), while the remaining 40 lesions (FFR < 0.94) underwent adjunctive stenting (FFR-stent group). A further 78 patients (78 lesions) comprised the control group; these patients underwent direct stenting without FFR measurement (stent-only group). The restenosis rate at 14-day discharge (mean time to discharge) was 5.1% in the two groups treated with FFR guidance (FFR-PTCA and FFR-stent), but was 0% in the control group (p = ns). There were no significant differences in reocclusion rates between the FFR-guided patients (1.7%) and the controls (0%). There was no incidence of in-hospital mortality or reinfarction in any of the groups. The number of balloons used (mean, 1.3 0.6 balloons for FFR patients versus 1.8 0.5 balloons for control patients) and the total cost of hospitalization and treatment ($16,213 versus $19,730 in U.S. currency; 1,945,571 998,726 yen versus 2,367,656 538,444 yen in Japanese currency) were both higher in the control group. Long-term survival rates were comparable in the two groups. These findings indicate that FFR guidance for PCI of acute myocardial infarction is a useful, low-cost technique that results in similar clinical outcomes as primary stenting.