Dislodged Coronary Stents: The Presnaring Technique.

When dislodged stents remain on the coronary wire, the wire can be snared outside of the body (presnaring), and the snare loop advanced over the wire into the body to retrieve the stent. Presnaring may be a valuable technique to retrieve dislodged coronary stents when the stent remains on the coronary wire, as demonstrated in the 2 patients described.

Patterns of Care and Outcomes of Ambulatory Endovascular Interventions in Lower Extremity Peripheral Arterial Disease.

Lower extremity endovascular intervention (LE-EVI) is gaining popularity as the primary treatment modality for patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease refractory to noninvasive management. We examined the contemporary patterns of care, regional variation, and outcomes of ambulatory LE-EVI in the United States. The National Ambulatory Surgery Sample was analyzed to identify 266,563 records with peripheral artery disease and LE-EVI between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2017. The mean age of the study cohort was 68.9 years and 40.5% were women. The majority of the endovascular interventions were performed at large (58.1%), urban teaching (64.1%), private not-for-profit (76.8%) centers, and the southern region accounted for most cases (43%). Periprocedural major adverse renal and cardiovascular events and other complications were 0.5% and 3.3%, respectively. Most patients (97.6%) were discharged home after the procedure. Age, female gender, uncontrolled hypertension, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, chronic kidney disease, malnutrition, non-Medicare insurance, private for-profit, urban teaching facilities, and southern and midwest regions were associated with higher odds of major adverse renal and cardiovascular events. The mean charges per patient encounter were $56,500, with significant differences across various patient and facility characteristics. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the use, patterns of care, financial aspect, and overall safety of ambulatory LE-EVIs in a real-world setting.

Erratum to: Efficacy of Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography for the De Novo Detection of Chronic Total Occlusion Prior to Coronary Angiography: A Preliminary and Retrospective Study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1716328.].

Safety of Calcium-Channel Blockers During Radial Cardiac Catheterization in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction or Systolic Heart Failure.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of calcium-channel blockers (CCBs) during radial artery catheterization in two populations with a contraindication to their use. BACKGROUND: Cardiac catheterization performed via the radial approach has become increasingly common worldwide, but adoption has been slow in the United States. One possible explanation is concern over radial artery vasospasm, which can complicate procedures. Spasmolytic drugs, typically intra-arterial CCBs, are used to prevent spasm, but their safety is not well established in high-risk populations, such as those with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or systolic heart failure (HF), in which CCB may be contraindicated. METHODS: Consecutive STEMI and HF patients undergoing cardiac catheterization over a 1-year period were prospectively evaluated. All operators in our laboratory use the radial approach unless contraindicated. All patients received CCB immediately after sheath insertion. The primary outcome of interest was change in blood pressure immediately after CCB. Procedural outcomes were also evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 184 patients were included in the study (54 with STEMI and 129 with HF). There was a significant drop in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) following verapamil administration (P<.001 for both), but no change in HR (P>.99). SBP decreased more than 20 mm Hg in 15.7% of patients, none of whom required initiation of vasopressors. In regression analysis, only baseline SBP correlated significantly with the change in blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with STEMI or HF can safely tolerate intra-arterial CCB during radial catheterization.