Guideline adherence in the use of coronary angiography in patients presenting at the emergency department without myocardial infarction - Results from the German ENLIGHT-KHK project.

Background: For patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), direct coronary angiography (CA) is recommended, while for non-AMI patients, the diagnostic work-up depends on clinical criteria. This analysis provides initial prospective German data for the degree of guideline-adherence (GL) in the use of CA on non-AMI patients presenting at the emergency department (ED) with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) according to the 2015 ESC-ACS-GL. Furthermore the implications of the application of the 2020 ESC-ACS-GL recommendations were evaluated. Methods: Patient symptoms were identified using a standardized questionnaire; medical history and diagnostic work-up were acquired from health records. In accordance with the 2015 ESC-ACS-GL, CA was considered GL-adherent if intermediate risk criteria (IRC) were present or non-invasive, image-guided testing (NIGT) was pathological. Results: Between January 2019 and August 2021, 229 patients were recruited across seven centers. Patients presented with chest pain, dyspnea, and other symptoms in 66.7%, 16.2% and 17.1%, respectively, were in mean 66.3 ± 10.5 years old, and 36.3% were female. In accordance with the 2015 ESC-ACS-GL, the use of CA was GL-adherent for 64.0% of the patients. GL-adherent compared to non-adherent use of CA resulted in revascularization more often (44.5% vs. 17.1%, p < 0.001). Applying the 2020 ESC-ACS-GL, 20.4% of CA would remain GL-adherent. Conclusions: In the majority of cases, the use of CA was adherent to the 2015 ESC-ACS-GL. With regard to the 2020 and 2023 ESC-ACS-GL, efforts to expand the utilization of NIGT are crucial, especially as GL-adherent use of CA is more likely to result in revascularization.(German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00015638; https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00015638; (registration date: 19 February 2019)).

Evaluation of the guideline-adherence of coronary angiography in patients with suspected chronic coronary syndrome - Results from the German prospective multicentre ENLIGHT-KHK project.

Background: With 900'000 coronary angiographies (CA) per year, Germany has the highest annual per capita volume in Europe. Until now there are no prospective clinical data on the degree of guideline-adherence in the use of CA in patients with suspected chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) in Germany. Methods: Between January 2019 and August 2021, 458 patients with suspected CCS were recruited in nine German centres. Guideline-adherence was evaluated according to the current European Society of Cardiology and German guidelines. Pre-test probability (PTP) for CAD was determined using age, gender, and a standardized patient questionnaire to identify symptoms. Data on the diagnostic work-up were obtained from health records. Results: Patients were in mean 66.6 years old, male in 57.3 %, had known CAD in 48.4 % and presented with typical, atypical, non-anginal chest pain or dyspnoea in 35.7 %, 41.3 %, 23.0 % and 25.4 %, respectively. PTP according to the European guidelines was in mean 24.2 % (11.9 %-36.5 % 95 % CI). 20.9 % of the patients received guideline-recommended preceding non-invasive image guided testing. The use of CA was adherent to the European and German guideline recommendations in 20.4 % and 25.4 %, respectively. In multivariate-analysis, arterial hypertension and prior revascularization were predictors of guideline non-adherence. Conclusion: These are the first prospective clinical data which demonstrated an overall low degree of guideline-adherence in the use of CA in patients with suspected CCS in the German health care setting. To improve adherence rates, the availability of and access to non-invasive image guided testing needs to be strengthened. (German Clinical Trials Registry DRKS00015638 - Registration Date: 19.02.2019).

In-hospital outcome of re-attempted percutaneous coronary interventions for chronic total occlusion.

BACKGROUND: With the advent of novel recanalization techniques and emerging devices, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become a promising leading treatment option for patients with chronic total occlusions (CTO). The present study aims to evaluate the acute outcomes of PCI in previously failed re-attempted vs. first-attempted CTO-lesions. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2019, 619 patients were included and treated with PCI of at least one CTO. 253 patients were re-attempted lesions, while 366 were initially attempted lesions. RESULTS: Re-attempted lesions were more complex, including higher Japanese-CTO (J-CTO) score and the need for a retrograde approach. The procedure time and fluoroscopy time were longer in this group. Nevertheless, overall success rates were comparable between both groups of patients. In-hospital events were rare and without significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Re-attempted CTO lesions are more complex than first-attempt lesions and are associated with longer procedural times. However, they can be safely intervened by experienced operators with a similar success rate.

Pulsed field ablation for pulmonary vein isolation: real-world experience and characterization of the antral lesion size compared with cryoballoon ablation.

BACKGROUND: Pulsed field ablation (PFA) is a new, non-thermal technology in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Early investigations have shown a promising safety profile with durable pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and large antral lesions. However, clinical data remains scarce. METHODS: We investigated a cohort of 43 patients. Twenty-three patients underwent PVI with PFA in our hospital and we analyzed them with regard to procedural characteristics and with regard to the size of acute antral lesion which was estimated by using an electroanatomical map of the left atrium (LA). We compared these data with data of 20 patients who had undergone cryoballon (CB) PVI in our hospital. RESULTS: We could show acute isolation of all veins in all patients (100% PFA, 100% CB). Post-ablation high-density mapping revealed no early reconnection (0%). The acute antral lesion size of PFA was significantly higher compared to the CB (67.03 ± 12.69% vs. 57.39 ± 10.91%, p = 0.01). In the PFA group, we found no acute phrenic nerve injury, no major or minor bleeding, and no tamponade but one (4.34%) patient suffered from a stroke. Transient hypotension was observed frequently as well as transient bradycardia or asystole episodes requiring right ventricular pacing. In the CB group, no complications occurred. Furthermore, we discuss practical issues on PFA procedures. CONCLUSIONS: PFA is a promising technology with high acute PV isolation rate and large antral lesions compared to CB. However, larger trials with more patients and data on long-term freedom of AF but also complications are needed.

Telemonitoring Potential of Wearable Cardioverter-Defibrillators during the Follow-Up of Patients with Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Wearable cardioverter-defibrillators (WCDs) are a well-established tool to bridge the recovery time of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) until the implantation of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), as recommended by the current guidelines. Besides their function to detect and treat malignant arrhythmias, WCDs may be used as a telemonitoring system. In this study, we sought to illustrate and discuss the telemonitoring potential of WCDs and to analyze physical activity in specific patient cohorts. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively included 140 patients with reduced LVEF who were prescribed WCDs in our clinic. We analyzed the patients' physical activity (n = 105 with a WCD compliance above 21 h/day), body position and resting position. We found a reduced physical activity in women and in patients over the age of 65 compared to younger patients. Furthermore, the patients who were overweight or obese showed significantly reduced physical activity compared to the patients with a normal weight (6365 ± 3572 vs. 4972 ± 2476 vs. 7045 ± 3521, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: WCDs may be used as a telemonitoring and intervention tool in patients with reduced LVEF. Specific patient groups may benefit from guidance from their treating physician regarding physical activity.

Transesophageal echocardiography guided transseptal puncture and nadir temperatures in cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation.

Introduction: Cryoballoon (CB) guided pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an established procedure in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Transseptal access is an indispensable step during PVI and may be associated with severe complications. For specific interventions, specific puncture sites of the fossa ovalis are advantageous. Here, we analyzed the potential impact of a transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) guided transseptal puncture on nadir temperatures in CB PVI. Methods and Results: We retrospectively analyzed 209 patients undergoing CB PVI in our hospital. The use of TOE had been at the operator's discretion. No TOE-related complications such as perforation of the pharynx or esophagus or loss of teeth were noted. Concerning the applied freezes, we found significantly lower nadir temperatures in all PVs in the TOE group than in the non-TOE group. Procedure time and fluoroscopy time and complications were similar in both groups. Conclusion: TOE-guided TSP in CB PVI is safe and feasible. Our study found significantly lower nadir temperatures of CB freezes after TOE-guided TSP which potentially underscores the value of a more infero-anterior puncture site.

Validation of the newly introduced CASTLE Score for predicting successful CTO recanalization.

BACKGROUND: The new EuroCTO CASTLE Score was validated against the widely adopted Japanese Multicenter CTO Registry (J-CTO) score in predicting technical success in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO). METHODS: A total of 463 patients treated by CTO PCI were included in a retrospective analysis. Result: The mean CASTLE score was 2.23 ± 1.1 and J-CTO score was 2.84 ± 1.0. The overall technical success rate was 83.2%. At 30 days follow up, a primary composite safety endpoint showed a low proportion of stent thrombosis (0.2%) and re-hospitalization (0.4%). Moreover, an improvement of clinical symptoms was found in 83% of patients. Receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC) demonstrated a comparable overall discriminatory performance in predicting technical outcome: CASTLE score, area under the ROC curve (AUC) 0.668, 95% CI: 0.606-0.730; J-CTO score AUC 0.692, 95% CI: 0.631-0.752; Comparison of AUCs: p = 0.324. Those findings were even consistent in more complex procedures CASTLE Score ≥ 4 and J-CTO score ≥ 3: CASTLE Score AUC 0.514, 95% CI: 0.409-0.619; J-CTO score, AUC 0.617, 95% CI: 0.493-0.741; Comparison of AUCs: p = 0.211. Furthermore, increasing score values are accompanied by a longer examination and fluoroscopy time, more contrast medium and a higher dose area product. CONCLUSION: Compared to the widely accepted J-CTO score, the new introduced EuroCTO CASTLE score demonstrated a comparable overall discriminatory performance in predicting technical outcomes in CTO PCI.

ACURATE neo™ Aortic Valve System for the treatment of aortic stenosis.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has revolutionized the treatment of patients with severe aortic stenosis and is now standard of care for high surgical risk patients and a valid alternative strategy in intermediate risk patients. Recently, TAVR has shown excellent results in low-risk patients, indicating an imminent extension toward this population. Improvements in procedural outcomes are the result of increasing operator experience, sophisticated imaging for procedural planning but also due to the continuous evolution of transcatheter heart valves developed to minimize procedural complications. 'Next-generation' valves are currently available, among them the self-expanding ACURATE neo. Here, the technical details and clinical outcomes of the ACURATE neo are reviewed, comparative data with other 'next-generation' valves and potential advantages and disadvantages are discussed.

The atherogenic index of plasma and its impact on recanalization of chronic total occlusion.

BACKGROUND: The plasma-derived atherogenic index (AIP) is associated with an increasing risk for cardiovascular diseases. Whether an increased AIP may predict the complexity of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusion (CTO), according to available research, has never been investigated before. METHODS: Three hundred seventeen patients were included prospectively and treated with PCI for at least one CTO between 2012 and 2017. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) plasma levels were measured 24 h before PCI. All patients were stratified into tertiles of AIP (defined as 0.11, 0.11-0.21, > 0.21) based on their TG/HDL-C (AIP) levels. RESULTS: Mean AIP of all patients undergoing CTO-PCI was 0.53 ± 0.29. The majority of patients were male (82.6%), and mean age was 61 ± 10.4 years. Increased AIP > 0.21 was associated with longer occlusion length (statistical trend p = 0.082) and stent routes (p = 0.022) and with a higher number of implanted stents (n > 4) (statistical trend p = 0.072). Success rates were similar in all AIP categories (p = 0.461). In-hospital PCI-related complications were rare and not statistically different (p = 0.852). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates for the first time that an increased AIP may predict the complexity of CTO-PCI and additionally may help to improve planning and quality of CTO-PCI.

In-Hospital Outcomes After Recanalization of Ostial Chronic Total Occlusions.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusion (CTO) still remains a major challenge in interventional cardiology. Recanalization of ostial lesions is challenging and complex. This present study aims to evaluate the outcome of patients with ostial and non-ostial CTO-PCI with regard to acute, in-hospital outcome. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2018 we included 600 patients. Ostial lesions (OL) were defined as a coronary arterial stenosis within 3 mm of the vessel origin. Antegrade and retrograde CTO-PCI techniques were used and a composite safety endpoint comprising in-hospital death, vascular complications, cardiac tamponade, stroke and acute myocardial infarction. RESULTS: The majority of the patients were male (82.3%) and the mean age was 62.1 years (±10.3 years). The right coronary artery (RCA) was the most frequent target vessel in 58.5%, followed by the left circumflex artery (LCX) (15.4%) and the left anterior descending artery (LAD) (26.2%). The success (p = .439) and complication rates (p = .169) were independent of the target vessel. We determined that examination and fluoroscopy time were longer in patients with OL (120.7 min vs. 99.0 min, p < .001 and 44.9 min vs. 34.5 min, p < .001) and that in this group of patients the retrograde approach was used more frequent (38.8% vs. 18.2%, p < .001). Overall success rates were lower in OL than compared to NOL (74.6% vs. 86.5%, p = .016). CONCLUSIONS: Our retrospective study suggests that recanalization of ostial CTO lesions is associated with reduced PCI success rates as well as long examination and high fluoroscopy times.

In-Hospital Outcome of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus after CTO Recanalization with Third-Generation Drug-Eluting Stents.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of total chronic coronary occlusions (CTOs) still remains a major challenge in interventional cardiology. There is little knowledge in the literature about differences in CTO-PCI between diabetic and nondiabetic patients in the era of third-generation drug-eluting stents (DESs). In this study, we analyzed the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on procedural characteristics, complications, and acute outcomes in a cohort of 440 patients. Methods: Between 2012 and 2016, we recruited 440 consecutive patients, 116 of them with DM. All the patients underwent PCI for at least 1 CTO. Antegrade and retrograde CTO recanalization techniques were applied. Only third-generation DESs were used. We used t-tests and the Pearson chi-quadrat test to test the significant differences in the variables between the 2 groups. Results: The patients with DM were older than the nondiabetics (64.5 y vs. 61.1 y; P=0.003), and they suffered more frequently from a chronic kidney disease (7.1% vs. 2.4%; P=0.001). The nondiabetics less frequently had arterial hypertension (75.3% vs. 89.7%; P=0.001); however, they more often had a family liability for CAD (32.1% vs. 22.4%; P=0.050) and had a higher left ventricular ejection fraction (59.2% vs. 56.7%; P=0.011). The success rate was 85.2% in the patients without DM and 81.2% in the patients with DM (P=0.403). The existence of DM had no impact on the procedural success and complication rates. Conclusion: Our study on 440 patients shows that diabetics and nondiabetics have similar success and complication rates after the recanalization of CTOs using third-generation DESs. It is a feasible and safe procedure and can be recommended as an alternative treatment.

Increasing use of anticoagulants in Germany and its impact on hospitalization for gastrointestinal bleeding.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to compare nationwide time trends of oral anticoagulant prescriptions with the time trend of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in Germany from 2005 through 2016. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The annual number of hospital admissions for GIB associated with gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, hematemesis, melena, hematochezia, and unspecified gastrointestinal bleeding (USGIH) was taken from the nationwide hospital referral file by the Federal Bureau of Statistics. The hospitalization rates were age-standardized using the German Standard Population 2011. The defined daily doses (DDD) of prescribed anticoagulants in outpatients for the same calendar period were taken from reports of the drug information system of the statutory health insurance. Based on DDD, drug treatment rates were calculated per 100,000 people. RESULTS: From 2005 to 2016, the annual anticoagulant prescription rates per 100,000 persons increased by 135.8% (from 901.4 to 2125.9). By 2011, direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) accounted for <0.1% of all anticoagulants, but 49.9% in 2016. Over the same period, age-standardized hospital admissions for GIBs per 100,000 person-years decreased by 14% (from 128.89 to 110.87). Hospitalization rates for gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer decreased steadily, and those for hematoma, melena and hematochezia continued to increase. Only the USGIH decreased from 2005 to 2011 (annual change of -3.35 (95% CI -5.44; -1.25) per 100,000 person-years) and subsequently increased (0.61, 95% CI -0,42; 1.65). Of all GIB cases, 5.8% received at least 6 red blood cell concentrates in 2005 and 4.6% in 2016. The two-phase time trend for USGIH was no longer present in this subgroup. CONCLUSION: Our nationwide comparison of outpatient OAC treatment rates and hospitalization rates for GIBs showed that GIB hospitalization rates declined despite increasing OAC treatment rates from 2005 to 2016. With increasing impact of DOACs after 2011, this decline was not affected.

Impact of body mass index on acute outcome in percutaneous coronary intervention of chronic total occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of total chronic total occlusion (CTO) still remains a major challenge in interventional cardiology. There is only insignificant knowledge reported in the literature about the influence of body mass index (BMI) on acute outcome, including success rates and complications in CTO-PCI. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2017, we included 508 patients. They underwent PCI for at least one CTO. Antegrade and retrograde CTO techniques were applied. The retrograde approach was used only after failed antegrade intervention. BMI was calculated according to the definitions of the World Health Organization. It was subdivided as normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25-29.9 kg/m2), obese (30-34.9 kg/m2), and very obese (≥35 kg/m2). The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to test for normality of distribution. Continuous variables were tested for differences with Kruskal-Wallis or Mann-Whitney U test as appropriate. Categorical variables were tested with Fisher exact test. RESULTS: Out of the 508 patients, 77 (15.2%) had normal weight, 286 (56.3%) were overweight, 106 (20.9%) obese, and 39 (7.7%) very obese. Radiation dose and examination time increased with elevated BMI categories (p < 0.001, p = 0.026). Success rates were similar in all BMI categories (p = 0.645). In-hospital procedural complications were rare and showed no statistically significant difference (p = 0.185). CONCLUSIONS: Our retrospective study suggests that there exists no significant association between overweight and acute outcome in patients undergoing CTO-PCI. It is safe and feasible to perform.

Long-term impact of a bonus freeze on clinical outcome: Analysis of effective and non-effective bonus freezes in cryoballoon ablation.

PURPOSE: Data on bonus freeze characteristics and their impact on complication rates and long-term clinical outcome are limited. METHODS: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using a 28 mm 2nd-generation cryoballoon (CB) was performed in 169 patients (pts). The isolation temperatures, time to isolation and minimal temperatures of the cryoapplications were documented. RESULTS: The study included 92 pts who received one bonus freeze after PVI in group I and 77 pts who did not receive a bonus freeze in group II. After a mean follow-up time of 19.0±8.6 months in group I and 16.4±7.5 months in group II, 67 of 92 pts (72.8%) and 49 of 75 pts available to follow up (65.3%; p = 0.221) were free of atrial tachyarrhythmia, respectively. Phrenic nerve palsy occurred in 5.4% of the pts in group I (5/92 pts) and 1.3% of the pts in group II (1/77 pts; p = 0.22). Both the mean nadir temperatures of the bonus freezes and mean nadir temperatures of the isolation freezes differed significantly between the recurrent and non-recurrent pts in group I. The predilection sites of the reconduction for both groups were the inferior aspect of the inferior pulmonary veins. CONCLUSION: The impact of a bonus freeze on long-term clinical outcome was not significant for two reasons: 1) The necessity of a bonus freeze was low because the long-term clinical success rate without a bonus freeze was high; and 2) the majority of bonus freezes, especially at the predilection sites, such as the inferior PV, appeared to be ineffective.

Acute, in-Hospital Outcome of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for In-Stent Chronic Total Occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of total chronic total occlusion (CTO) still remains a major challenge in interventional cardiology. Recanalization of in-stent CTO (IS-CTO) is associated with inferior success rates. This present study aims to comparatively evaluate the acute outcome of patients with IS-CTO and de novo CTO. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2018 we included 600 patients. Antegrade and retrograde CTO-PCI techniques were used and the primary endpoint was a composite safety endpoint comprising in-hospital death, vascular complications, cardiac tamponade, stroke and acute myocardial infarction. RESULTS: IS-CTO predominantly occurred in the right coronary artery (71.2%). The success (p = 0.495) and complication rates (p = 0.255) were independent of the target vessel. The lesion lengths of IS-CTO were longer than in de-novo CTO (40 mm vs. 30 mm, statistical trend p = 0.081) alongside with the implanted stent lengths (76 mm vs. 63 mm, statistical trend p = 0.070) and their diameter (3.5 mm vs. 3.0 mm, p < 0.001). We determined that procedural and fluoroscopy time were longer in patients with IS-CTO (115.0 min vs. 93.0 min, p = 0.018 and 40.0 min vs. 30.0 min, p = 0.040) and that in this group of patients the amount of contrast medium was higher (250 ml vs. 200 ml, p = 0.015). Overall success rates were comparable between the two group of patients (87.9% vs. 84.4%, p = 0.586). In-hospital, acute procedural complications regarding the composite safety were rare and showed no statistically significant difference (3.0% vs. 5.6%; p = 0.563). CONCLUSIONS: Recanalization of in-stent CTO lesions go along with long procedural and high fluoroscopy times as well as an increased amount of contrast medium. Compared to de novo CTO they can be performed safe in experienced hands with similar success rates.

Trends in Atrial Fibrillation and Prescription of Oral Anticoagulants and Embolic Strokes in Germany.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to compare trends in frequency of atrial fibrillation (AF) with the prescription rates of oral anticoagulants (OAC) and the incidence of embolic stroke (ES) from 2005 through 2014. METHODS: Annual numbers of hospitalized patients with AF and ES were extracted from the Federal Bureau of Statistics. Defined daily doses (DDD) of prescribed OAC among outpatients were extracted from the insurance drug information system. RESULTS: The number of cases hospitalized with the diagnosis AF increased continuously by 78.3% (1.25 Million in 2005 to 2.19 Million in 2014, p < 0.001), likewise frequency of ES increased by 89.0% (from 46,068 to 87,050, p < 0.001) and the number of prescribed DDD of OAC almost doubled by 105.4% (from 271,328 to 557,281, p < 0.001). There is an almost linear correlation between occurrence of AF and ES (R2 = 0.9683). In contrast association between prescription rate of OAC and incidence of ES is not linear as there was a disproportional increase in OAC prescriptions beginning in the year 2010 that is not accompanied by a reduction of cases hospitalized with ES. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis of drug treatment rates for OAC in outpatients and hospitalization rates for ES revealed a disproportional increase in prescription of OAC beginning in the year 2010 that does not affect the number of cases hospitalized with ES.

Influence of smoking habits on acute outcome of revascularization of chronic total occlusion.

OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) remains a major challenge in interventional cardiology. The exact toxic components of cigarette smoke and the mechanisms involved in smoking-related cardiovascular dysfunction are largely unknown, but it increases inflammation, thrombosis, and oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. There is only insignificant knowledge reported in the literature about the influence of smoking habits on acute outcome in CTO PCI. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2017, a total of 559 patients were included in the study. The patients all underwent PCI for at least 1 CTO. Antegrade and retrograde CTO techniques were applied. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to test for normality of distribution. Continuous variables were tested for differences with the Kruskal-Wallis test or the Mann-Whitney U test, as appropriate. Categorical variables were tested using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Non-smokers were older than smoking patients (65.3±10.3 years vs. 58.3±9.2 years; p<0.001). The mean age of the cohort was 62.1 years (±10.5). Smokers were more often male (85.7% vs. 79.7%; p=0.074), suffered from longer lesion length (36.1±17.5 mm vs. 39.1±17.2 mm; p=0.023) and therefore needed longer stents (64.2±26.5 mm vs. 69.0±28.0 mm; p=0.084). The success rate was comparable for smokers and non-smokers. In-hospital procedural complications were rare and demonstrated no statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION: The results of this retrospective study revealed no significant association between smoking and acute outcome in CTO PCI. Smokers did, however, have longer lesions and needed longer stents.

Complex Recanalization of Chronic Total Occluison Supported by Minimal Extracorporeal Circulation in a Patient with an Aortic Valve Bioprothesis in Extraanatomic Position.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusion (CTO) still remains a major challenge in interventional cardiology. This case describes a complex PCI of the left main coronary artery and of a CTO of the right coronary artery using a minimal extracorporeal circulation system (MECC) in a patient with an aortic valve bioprothesis in extraanatomic position. It illustrates that complex recanalization strategies can be solved combining it with mechanical circulatory support technologies.

The GuideLiner catheter: A supportive tool in percutaneous coronary intervention of chronic total occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Failure of delivering a stent or a balloon across the target lesion during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusion (CTO), especially in arteries with calcified tortuous anatomy, is often due to insufficient backup support from the guiding catheter. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of the GuideLiner (GL) catheter use. METHODS: We examined 18 patients and used the GL catheter to overcome poor support and excessive friction in standardized antegrade and retrograde CTO procedures. The GL is a coaxial, monorail guiding catheter extension delivered through a standard guiding catheter and is available in different sizes. RESULTS: Almost all lesions were classified as severely calcified (94.4 ± 0.24%). The Japanese CTO score reflecting lesion complexity was 3.56 ± 0.78. All procedures were performed femorally; the retrograde approach was used in 27.8 ± 0.46% of cases. The overall success rate was 88.9 ± 0.32%; there were no relevant complications. CONCLUSIONS: The GL catheter is an adjunctive interventional device which enhances and amplifies CTO-PCI. Its use is indicated in cases in which back-up force needs to be strengthened to pass a CTO despite advanced calcification. It can be recommended as an important additional tool in advanced interventional cardiology such as antegrade and retrograde CTO-PCI if other techniques like anchor balloon or anchor wire are not possible.