Management of coronary artery disease in patients with aortic stenosis in the era of transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Aortic stenosis (AS) is a common valve disorder among the elderly, and these patients frequently have concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD). Risk factors for calcific AS are similar to those for CAD. Historically, the treatment of these conditions involved simultaneous surgical replacement of the aortic valve (AV) with coronary artery bypass grafting. Since the advancement of transcatheter AV therapies, there have been tremendous advancements in the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of this procedure with expanding indications. This has led to a paradigm shift in our approach to the patient with AS and concomitant CAD. Data regarding the management of CAD in patients with AS are largely limited to single-center studies or retrospective analyses. This article aims to review available literature around the management of CAD in patients with AS and assist in the current understanding in approaches toward management.

Complication of Late Presenting STEMI Due to Avoidance of Medical Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Patients are avoiding hospitals for fear of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). We are witnessing a re-emergence of rare complications of myocardial infarctions (MI) due to delayed revascularization. Herein, we describe a case of hemorrhagic pericarditis from thrombolytics administered to a patient with late presenting MI. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.).

A curious case of an absent left atrial appendage.

The left atrial appendage (LAA) in the setting of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is the predominant location for intracardiac thrombus formation. An absent LAA is a very rare congenital cardiac anomaly. We present a case of a 79-year-old female with NVAF, high CHADS2VASC2 score, and high bleeding risk who presented for elective Watchman™ left atrial appendage closure device implant. A pre-procedural transesophageal echocardiography showed an absent LAA. This finding was confirmed with cardiac computed tomography and a left atrial angiogram. The patient was discharged on medical therapy with close outpatient follow-up.

Polymer-free Biolimus A9-coated stents in the treatment of de novo coronary lesions with short DAPT: 9-month angiographic and clinical follow-up of the prospective, multicenter BioFreedom USA clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: BioFreedom is a polymer- and carrier-free drug-coated stent that delivers Biolimus A9 to the vessel wall. Our purpose was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this DCS in patients with short-duration dual antiplatelet therapy. METHODS: The BioFreedom US IDE feasibility trial was a single-arm, open-label, prospective study of patients requiring stenting of de novo lesions. Patients received 3 months of DAPT, repeat angiography at 9 months, and clinical follow-up at multiple intervals. A subgroup also underwent intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) interrogation. The primary safety end point was major adverse cardiac events, defined as a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization, or stent thrombosis. The primary efficacy end point, in-stent late lumen loss at 9 months, was compared with a historical control from a first-generation paclitaxel-eluting stent. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients from 10 sites received BioFreedom DCS implanted in 83 de novo lesions. At 9 months, the incidence of composite MACE was 8.4%, and TLR was 1.5%. Short DAPT was safe without occurrence of stent thrombosis. The primary end point of LLL was 0.32±0.53 mm. Paired IVUS analyses comparing postprocedural with 9-month measurements showed low in-stent neointimal volume obstruction (5.39±5.28%) and low neointimal hyperplasia (7.43±8.04 mm3). CONCLUSIONS: This study's angiography and IVUS assessments demonstrated that the BioFreedom DCS has anti-restenotic efficacy similar to first-generation DES. In the absence of concerning safety signals, this DCS should be considered effective and safe for patients who require a shorter duration of DAPT.

Cardiac stem cells in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy (SCIPIO): initial results of a randomised phase 1 trial.

BACKGROUND: c-kit-positive, lineage-negative cardiac stem cells (CSCs) improve post-infarction left ventricular (LV) dysfunction when administered to animals. We undertook a phase 1 trial (Stem Cell Infusion in Patients with Ischemic cardiOmyopathy [SCIPIO]) of autologous CSCs for the treatment of heart failure resulting from ischaemic heart disease. METHODS: In stage A of the SCIPIO trial, patients with post-infarction LV dysfunction (ejection fraction [EF] ≤40%) before coronary artery bypass grafting were consecutively enrolled in the treatment and control groups. In stage B, patients were randomly assigned to the treatment or control group in a 2:3 ratio by use of a computer-generated block randomisation scheme. 1 million autologous CSCs were administered by intracoronary infusion at a mean of 113 days (SE 4) after surgery; controls were not given any treatment. Although the study was open label, the echocardiographic analyses were masked to group assignment. The primary endpoint was short-term safety of CSCs and the secondary endpoint was efficacy. A per-protocol analysis was used. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00474461. FINDINGS: This study is still in progress. 16 patients were assigned to the treatment group and seven to the control group; no CSC-related adverse effects were reported. In 14 CSC-treated patients who were analysed, LVEF increased from 30·3% (SE 1·9) before CSC infusion to 38·5% (2·8) at 4 months after infusion (p=0·001). By contrast, in seven control patients, during the corresponding time interval, LVEF did not change (30·1% [2·4] at 4 months after CABG vs 30·2% [2·5] at 8 months after CABG). Importantly, the salubrious effects of CSCs were even more pronounced at 1 year in eight patients (eg, LVEF increased by 12·3 ejection fraction units [2·1] vs baseline, p=0·0007). In the seven treated patients in whom cardiac MRI could be done, infarct size decreased from 32·6 g (6·3) by 7·8 g (1·7; 24%) at 4 months (p=0·004) and 9·8 g (3·5; 30%) at 1 year (p=0·04). INTERPRETATION: These initial results in patients are very encouraging. They suggest that intracoronary infusion of autologous CSCs is effective in improving LV systolic function and reducing infarct size in patients with heart failure after myocardial infarction, and warrant further, larger, phase 2 studies. FUNDING: University of Louisville Research Foundation and National Institutes of Health.

Iatrogenic submedial coronary artery intramural hematoma presenting subacutely.

We report an unusual case of unstable angina resulting from a rare subacute submedial intramural hematoma within the mid-proximal segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery 3 days after successful coronary angioplasty and stenting. An additional stent was deployed to contain the hemorrhage with good angiographic and clinical results.