The Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes of Rotational Atherectomy under Intra-Aortic Balloon Counterpulsation Assistance for Complex and Very High-Risk Coronary Interventions in Contemporary Practice: An Eight-Year Experience from a Tertiary Center.

BACKGROUND: The use of Complex and High-risk Coronary Interventions (CHIPs) has increased in recent years. Both rotational atherectomy (RA) and hemodynamic support are important parts of CHIPs. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to retrospectively investigate the procedure results and clinical outcomes of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP)-assisted RA in the contemporary drug-eluting stent era. METHODS: All consecutive patients who received RA under in-procedure IABP assistance from April 2010 to March 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 63 patients (77.7 ± 10.1 years, 69.8% male) were recruited, of whom 51 underwent RA with primary IABP assistance and 12 underwent bailout IABP. RA could be completed in 61 (96.8%) of the patients. Overall, vessel perforation, profound in-procedure shock, and ventricular arrhythmia occurred in 1.6%, 4.8% and 3.2% of the patients, respectively. The in-hospital, 30-day and 90-day major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rates were 22.2%, 27.4% and 36.1%, respectively, mostly driven by mortality. The MACE rates were significantly higher in the bail-out group in the hospital (50.0% vs. 15.7%, p = 0.018) at 30 days (58.3% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.013) and 90 days (66.7% vs. 28.6%, p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Bail-out IABP was associated with increased MACEs, implying that the use of IABP should be implemented at the beginning of RA if a complex procedure is anticipated.

Catheter directed diagnosis of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction induced by type A aortic dissection: A case report.

RATIONALE: Type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is a life-threatening disorder yet it is hard to diagnose. The dissection might extend to the coronary artery causing ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Physicians might not recognize this particularly early in its presentation and patients proceed to receive the primary percutaneous coronary intervention. We present such a case and found that the marked pressure difference between the radial and ascending aortae could be a useful clue for diagnosing the aortic dissection-related myocardial infarction. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 58-year-old male was presented to our emergency department for the complaint of left side chest pain that lasted for an hour with concomitant hypotension. STEMI was diagnosed at that time. DIAGNOSIS: The emergent primary percutaneous intervention was performed. When the diagnostic catheter was advanced to the ascending aorta, the systolic aorta pressure became 20 mm Hg higher than radial systolic pressure. Due to the abnormally large pressure differential between the peripheral radial artery and central ascending aorta, TAAD was suspected. INTERVENTIONS: After angiography and computer tomography confirmed the diagnosis of TAAD, the patient was sent for emergent surgery. OUTCOMES: The patient was died because of extensive dissection and shock. LESSONS: We present such a case and found that the marked pressure difference between the radial and ascending aortae during catheterization could be a useful clue for diagnosing the aortic dissection-related myocardial infarction. This clue had hinted our speedy examination of the occluded coronary artery and dissection flap, and led to an early and accurate diagnosis.

Plantar thermography predicts freedom from major amputation after endovascular therapy in critical limb ischemic patients.

Although plantar thermography can evaluate the immediate perfusion result after an endovascular therapy (EVT) has been performed, a relevant wound outcome study is still lacking.This study was to investigate whether angiosome-based plantar thermography could predict wound healing and freedom from major amputation after EVT in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI).All 124 patients with CLI (Rutherford category 5 and 6) who underwent EVT from January 2017 to February 2019 were prospectively enrolled. All patients received thermography both before and after EVT. Both wound healing and freedom from major amputation at the 6-month follow-up period were recorded. There were 61 patients in the healing group and 63 patients in the non-healing group, whereas the major amputation total was 14 patients. The mean pre- and post-EVT temperature of the foot was significantly higher in the healing group than in the non-healing group (30.78 °C vs 29.42 °C, P = .015; and 32.34 °C vs 30.96 °C, P = .004, respectively). DIFF2 was significantly lower in the non-healing group (-1.38 vs -0.90, P = .009). DIFF1 and DIFF2 were significantly lower in the amputation group (-1.85 °C vs -1.11 °C, P = .026; and -1.82 °C vs -1.08 °C, P = .004). Multivariate analysis showed that DIFF2 stood out as an independent predictor for freedom from major amputation (hazard ratio 0.51, P = .045). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a DIFF2 cut-off value of -1.30 °C, which best predicts freedom from major amputation.Plantar thermography is associated with wound healing and helps predict freedom from major amputation in CLI patients undergoing EVT.