Role of optical coherence tomography in managing patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Stenting the culprit lesion in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is the standard of care. Although plaque rupture on an atheromatous lesion is the most common underlying pathology, other mechanisms can also result in ACS presentation; some of which can be managed without stenting. Here we describe a case that was managed conservatively, after evaluating plaque erosion as the underlying mechanism and lack of obstructive lesion. This case highlights the importance of intracoronary imaging to assess the underlying mechanism in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome.

Efficacy and Safety of the GuideLiner Mother-in-Child Guide Catheter Extension in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures are increasingly performed on complex tortuous and heavily calcified coronary lesions. The GuideLiner® catheter (Vascular Solutions, Inc. Minneapolis, MN) is a rapid exchange guide catheter extension system. There is paucity of data about the efficacy of this device in complex PCI. Therefore, we aim to report the indications, success, and efficacy of GuideLiner use in treating complex lesion subset in the present study. METHODS: We collected data from all patients in whom the GuideLiner was used to facilitate PCI between April 1, 2011 and December 31, 2014 at a tertiary referral center in Toronto, Canada. Demographic and procedural data were obtained from an institutional prospective data registry. Indications for use of the GuideLiner, and angiographic and procedural data specific to the device were also collected. RESULTS: The GuideLiner was utilized in 307 (317 lesions) of 6105 PCI procedures performed at our institution during the study period. The mean age was 68.4 ± 11.2 years and 82% were male. The majority of lesions were types B2 or C (98%), calcified (86.3%), with proximal tortuosity (88.6%). The overall technical success rate of the GuideLiner was 88%. The procedural success rate was 98.7%. The complication rate was low (1.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Use of the GuideLiner catheter facilitated successful completion of PCI procedures in a majority of patients with complex lesions. Operators should be aware of the potential complications associated with GuideLiner use.

Adjunctive Bare-Metal Stenting Associated With Improved Outcomes in Patients With Multivessel Disease Treated With Drug-Eluting Stents.

BACKGROUND: The use of both bare-metal stents (BMSs) and drug-eluting stents (DESs) in the setting of multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) continues because of cost considerations. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients with ≥ 2 coronary arteries with angiographic stenoses of ≥ 70% severity who were treated with multivessel PCI and ≥ 2 stents between April 2007 and March 2011 was performed using a prospective single-centre PCI registry. Follow-up data were obtained from the Discharge Abstract Database of the Canadian Institute for Health Information and the Registered Persons Database. We performed propensity matching of the DES + BMS and DES-only groups, as well as Cox multiple regression analyses to determine the independent predictors of adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 1299 patients (514 in the DES + BMS group and 785 in the DES group) fulfilled the study criteria. Death or repeated revascularization at 5 years occurred less frequently in the DES + BMS group than in the DES group (23.9% ± 2.6% vs 33.1% ± 2.4%; P = 0.01), and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) tended to be less common in the DES + BMS group (31.1% ± 3.0% vs 36.7% ± 2.4%; P = 0.056). Kaplan-Meier estimates revealed an adjusted benefit with the DES + BMS strategy for death (11.4 ± 2.9 vs 14.9 ± 2.8; P = 0.035) and for death and repeated revascularization (25.6 ± 3.5 vs 32.4 ± 3.4; P = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: A DES + BMS PCI strategy is associated with a lower incidence of repeated revascularization and MACE at 5-year follow up. For patients undergoing multivessel PCI who have favourable anatomy and clinical features, a combined approach using DES and BMS appears to be a viable option for contemporary PCI practice.

Long-term outcome of unprotected left main stenting: a Canadian tertiary care experience.

BACKGROUND: Coronary stenting is increasingly used to treat unprotected left main disease in selected patients. However, there is a paucity of data on the long-term outcome of these patients in a Canadian context outside of clinical trials. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all provincially-insured patients undergoing left main coronary stenting at a large tertiary referral centre from 2000-2011. Pre-procedural angiograms were reviewed to identify the location of left main disease, and extent of concomitant coronary disease quantified by calculating Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With TAXUS Drug-Eluting Stent and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) scores for each patient. In-hospital death and major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rates were evaluated as were long-term death and MACE rates obtained via linkage of our institutional registry with the Ontario health claims database. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-one patients underwent unprotected left main stenting with 29 (13.1%) in-hospital death and 34 (15.4%) a MACE. At an average follow-up of 3.1 ± 2.8 years, 109 patients (49.3%) died and 151 (68.3%) experienced a MACE. Higher SYNTAX tertile and use of bare metal rather than drug-eluting stents was associated with increased rates of in-hospital and long-term death. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports, to our knowledge, the largest Canadian cohort of unprotected left main stenting over more than a decade. Coronary stenting was associated with acceptable in-hospital event rates, but poor long-term outcomes, reflecting the higher-risk population traditionally selected for this procedure.

Association between drug-eluting stent type and clinical outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: The comparative efficacy of first- vs second-generation drug-eluting stents (DESs) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unknown. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients undergoing PCI at a tertiary PCI center from 2007-2011 was performed, with linkage to administrative databases for long-term outcomes. CKD was defined as creatinine clearance (CrCl) < 60 mL/min. Propensity matching by multivariable scoring method and Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed. RESULTS: Of 6481 patients with available CrCl values undergoing a first PCI during the study period, 1658 (25%) had CKD. First- and second-generation DESs were implanted in 320 (19.3%) and 128 (7.7%) patients with CKD, respectively. At 2 years, no significant differences were observed between first-generation (n = 126) and second-generation (n = 126) propensity-matched DES cohorts for the outcomes of death (19% vs 16%; P = 0.51), repeat revascularization (10% vs 10%; P = 1.00), and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) (36% vs 37%; P = 0.90). The 2-year Kaplan-Meier survival was also similar (P = 0.77). In patients with CKD, second-generation DES type was not an independent predictor for death (P = 0.49) or MACCE (P = 1.00). CONCLUSIONS: Although the use of first- and second-generation DESs was associated with similar 2-year safety and efficacy in patients with CKD, our results cannot rule out a beneficial effect of second- vs first-generation DESs owing to small sample size. Future studies with larger numbers of patients with CKD are needed to identify optimal stent types, which may improve long-term clinical outcomes.

Antithrombotic therapy after coronary stenting in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The safety and efficacy of triple therapy (TT; warfarin with dual antiplatelet therapy [DAPT]) in post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are unclear. We aimed to determine whether TT is associated with a decreased stroke rate and an acceptable bleeding rate in this population. METHODS: This was a single-centre, retrospective study. Primary composite outcome was death, ischemic stroke, or transient ischemic attack. Secondary outcomes included components of primary outcome, bleeding, and blood transfusion rates. RESULTS: Of 602 post-PCI patients with AF between 2000 and 2009, 382 received TT, 220 DAPT. Mean follow-up post PCI was 5.9 ± 5.0 months. The TT group had a higher CHADS(2) score (2.6 vs 2.1, P < 0.001), older age (72.9 vs 70.5 years, P = 0.039), more heart failure (72.3% vs 36.9%, P = 0.010), and more strokes (14.4% vs 6.4%, P = 0.010). Neither primary outcome, major bleeding, nor blood transfusion rates differed between treatment groups, but more gastrointestinal bleeding occurred with TT use (2.6% vs 0.5%, P = 0.045). Net clinical benefit was -5.2 (CHADS(2) ≤ 2), 0.9 (CHADS(2) > 2), and -3.2 (overall) per 100 patient-years. CONCLUSIONS: Although we found no association with TT usage and a reduction in cerebrovascular ischemic or major bleeding events in post-PCI patients with AF regardless of CHADS(2) score vs DAPT, the study was likely underpowered to demonstrate a clinically relevant reduction. TT was associated with a 5-fold increase in gastrointestinal bleeding vs DAPT. Net clinical benefit calculations suggest benefits of TT in patients with CHADS(2) > 2. Stratification with CHADS(2) might be useful to determine the optimal antithrombotic therapy post PCI.

Long-term outcomes using a two-stent technique for the treatment of coronary bifurcations.

BACKGROUND: The crush and culotte are probably the most common two-stent techniques utilized for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of complex bifurcation lesions. Long-term outcome associated with the utilization of these techniques is unknown. Our objective was to evaluate the long-term outcomes after bifurcation PCI utilizing these 2 techniques with a prospective PCI registry. METHODS: Between 11/1/2003 and 12/31/2007, 360 patients were treated with either crush (n=304) or culotte (n=56). Primary outcome was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as the composite of death, myocardial infarction and target vessel revascularization. The major secondary outcome measure was MACE or occurrence of CCS Class ≥ 2 angina. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 4.1 years (3.0-5.1), the occurrence of MACE was 23.9%. MACE or CCS Class ≥ 2 angina occurred in 27.5% of patients. Multivariable analysis revealed that creatinine clearance <60 ml/min (odds-ratio [OR]=1.71, 95% CI 1.08-2.71; p=0.022) and left ventricular ejection fraction <40% (OR=2.14, 95% CI 1.21-3.79; p=0.008) were independent predictors of MACE or CCS Class ≥ 2 angina. A larger main vessel reference diameter (OR=0.57, 95% CI 0.61-0.92), bifurcation angle <50% (OR=0.59, 95% CI 0.35-0.92) and a final kissing-balloon inflation (OR=0.75, 95% CI 0.35-0.99) were associated with a lower risk of MACE or CCS Class ≥ 2 angina. CONCLUSIONS: Application of the crush and culotte techniques is associated with efficacy and safety at long-term follow-up. Bifurcation angle, a final kissing balloon inflation and vessel reference diameter are important variables that impact on very long-term outcomes.

Choice of stent and outcomes after treatment of drug-eluting stent restenosis in highly complex lesions.

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to compare the outcomes of a same versus different drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation strategy for the treatment of DES instent restenosis (ISR). BACKGROUND: The absence of clear data renders the treatment of DES ISR one of the most challenging situations in interventional cardiology. METHODS: We identified all cases of DES ISR treated with a second DES between January 2004 and January 2009. The lesions were divided into those treated with the same DES as the initial one that restenosed and those treated with a different DES. The main end-point was repeat target lesion revascularization (TLR). RESULTS: We included 116 patients with a total of 132 lesions. The patient population was highly complex: 55.5% with diabetes, 56% with type-C lesions, 15.9% with lesions previously stented with BMS and 18.2% with fluoroscopic evidence of stent fracture. A same and different stent strategy was conducted in 41 lesions (31%) and 91 lesions (69%), respectively. Overall TLR was 31.1% and occurred in 46.3% of patients treated with the same stent and 24.4% of those with a different stent (P = 0.012). Multivariable analysis found same stent strategy (OR 2.84, 95%CI 1.23-6.57;P = 0.014) and occurrence of stent fracture (OR 4.03, 95%CI 1.33-12.01;P = 0.012) to be the only independent predictors of TLR after a median follow-up of 20.4 [12.1-30.2] months. CONCLUSIONS: In highly complex lesions, DES implantation for DES ISR is linked to a high need of future revascularization. An association between implanting a DES type other than the original and lower rate of TLR is suggested.

Inhibition of sPLA2 and endothelial function: a substudy of the SPIDER-PCI trial.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction, and occurs after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We evaluated whether endothelial function is attenuated after PCI and if inhibition of secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) activity augments endothelial function and coronary flow reserve (CFR) in these patients. METHODS: In the sPLA2 Inhibition to Decrease Enzyme Release After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (SPIDER-PCI) study, patients undergoing elective PCI were randomized to receive Varespladib (Anthera Pharmaceuticals Inc, San Mateo, CA), an inhibitor of sPLA2, or placebo 3-5 days prior to PCI and for 5 days after PCI. In this substudy, endothelial function was assessed in 31 patients by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) before treatment and on the day after PCI, while taking study medication. During the PCI procedure, CFR was assessed using a Doppler guide wire. RESULTS: Baseline and procedural characteristics were comparable in both groups and sPLA2 activity was similar at baseline. After PCI, sPLA2 activity decreased only in the Varespladib group (2.9 ± 0.9 to 0.5 ± 0.4 ng/mL), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) increased by more than 100% in both groups. FMD at baseline was 3.66 ± 2.45% (Varespladib) and 3.37 ± 1.73% (placebo) with nonsignificant increase in both groups after PCI. The effect of Varespladib on FMD, adjusted for pre-PCI FMD by linear regression, was -1.16 ± 1.68%; P = 0.5. CFR was 2.45 ± 0.66 and 2.77 ± 0.85 in the Varespladib and placebo groups, respectively (P = 0.36). CONCLUSIONS: Systemic endothelial function is not reduced after elective PCI despite eliciting acute inflammatory response. Acute inhibition of sPLA2 activity with Varespladib does not affect endothelial or microvascular function after PCI.

The sPLA2 Inhibition to Decrease Enzyme Release after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (SPIDER-PCI) trial.

BACKGROUND: Secretory phospholipase A(2) (sPLA(2)) may play a role in myonecrosis after elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Inhibition of this enzyme may have a beneficial effect. The central hypothesis of this study was that treatment with varespladib, a small-molecule inhibitor of sPLA(2) would reduce postprocedural release of cardiac biomarkers after elective percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between October 2007 and June 2009, 144 stable patients were randomized in a phase II trial to receive varespladib 500 mg PO BID or placebo 3 to 5 days before and for 5 days after elective percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary end point was elevation of troponin I or creatine kinase-MB above the upper limit of normal at 6 to 8 or 18 to 24 hours after percutaneous coronary intervention. Mean age was 63±10 and 64±10 years, with 38% and 42% with diabetes mellitus and 29% and 28% with prior myocardial infarction for the varespladib and placebo groups, respectively. The primary end point occurred in 75% of varespladib and 63% of placebo patients (P=0.14). Troponin I 3 times the upper limit of normal was observed in 57% and 50% (P=0.39) and creatine kinase-MB 2 times the upper limit of normal in 14% and 3% (P=0.018). Median (first and third quartiles) change in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in these 2 groups was 0.65 mg/L (-0.18 and 1.48) and 0.70 mg/L (0.00 and 1.50) at 18 to 24 hours (P=0.81) and 0.20 mg/L (-0.70 and 1.40) and 0.60 mg/L (-0.12 and 1.72) at 3 to 5 days (P=0.23), whereas change in sPLA(2) activity at 3 to 5 days in a subset was -2.85 ng/ml (-3.40 and -1.85) and 0.25 ng/ml (-0.20 and 0.85) (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of sPLA(2) by varespladib administered for 3 to 5 days before the procedure does not reduce periprocedural myonecrosis associated with elective percutaneous coronary intervention. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00533039.

Change in cycle length during narrow complex tachycardia: what is the mechanism?

Major spontaneous variation in cycle length during supraventricular tachycardia is quite an uncommon phenomenon, which sometimes can mislead a correct diagnosis. We describe a patient who developed spontaneous variation in cycle length during electrophysiologic study in whom the coronary sinus cannulation was extremely difficult. In this situation, careful inspection of the mechanisms associated with this variation and classic pacing maneuvers are important to make a correct diagnosis of the supraventricular tachycardia.

The adverse long-term impact of renal impairment in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in the drug-eluting stent era.

BACKGROUND: An observational study determining the long-term impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention at a tertiary cardiac referral center. CKD is associated with poor in-hospital outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention, but its effect beyond 1 year, particularly in the drug-eluting stent (DES) era, has not been reported. METHODS AND RESULTS: Baseline creatinine was available for 11,953 patients entered into a prospective registry (April 2000 to September 2007). Patients were stratified: those with or without at least moderate CKD (creatinine clearance, <60 mL/min). Follow-up data were obtained through linkage to a provincial registry. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed. Cox multiple-regression analysis identified independent predictors of late mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and examined the association between DES use and late outcomes in the presence or absence of CKD. CKD was present in 3070 patients (25.7%). In-hospital mortality and MACE were significantly increased in CKD (3.34% versus 0.44%, P<0.001 and 5.73% versus 2.2%, P<0.001). Survival and MACE-free survival at 7 years were reduced (64.5+/-1.4% versus 89.4+/-0.5%, P<0.001; 44.0+/-1.4% versus 63.4+/-0.8%, P<0.001). CKD was an independent predictor of late mortality and MACE (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.18, CI: 1.90 to 2.49, P<0.0001; HR: 1.37, CI: 1.25 to 1.49, P<0.0001). DES use was associated with a significant reduction in both (HR: 0.71, CI: 0.60 to 0.83, P<0.0001; HR: 0.70, CI: 0.63 to 0.78, P<0.0001). In patients with CKD, DES use was associated with reduced revascularization (HR: 0.68, CI: 0.53 to 0.88, P=0.004) and reduced MACE (HR: 0.81, CI: 0.69 to 0.95, P=0.011) but not reduced mortality (HR: 0.85, CI: 0.69 to 1.05, P=0.1). CONCLUSIONS: In a large registry of "all comers" for percutaneous coronary intervention, CKD was an independent predictor of adverse late outcomes. DES use may be associated with improved long-term outcomes in this high-risk cohort, but further prospective studies are required.

Decreased complication rates using the transradial compared to the transfemoral approach in percutaneous coronary intervention in the era of routine stenting and glycoprotein platelet IIb/IIIa inhibitor use: a large single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of the transradial approach for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were carried out mainly before the widespread use of stents and glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors. We sought to determine the association between the choice of the vascular access site and procedural complications after PCI performed with routine stenting and GP IIb/IIIa inhibition. METHODS: The data source was a prospective registry of 13,499 consecutive cases of PCI at the University Health Network, Toronto, Canada, from April 2000 to September 2006. Logistic regression was used to calculate the probability of selection to the radial access group. Using propensity score methodology, 3,198 patients with femoral access were randomly matched to 3,198 patients with radial access based on clinical, angiographic, and procedural characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors of access site-related complications. Major adverse cardiac event was defined as death, myocardial infarction, abrupt vessel closure, or coronary artery bypass surgery. RESULTS: Use of the transradial approach was associated with fewer vascular access complications (1.5% vs 0.6%, P<.001) and a shorter length of hospital stay. Multivariable analysis revealed transradial access (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.2-0.7) to be an independent predictor of lower risk, whereas primary PCI (OR 4.36, 95% CI 1.4, 13), recent myocardial infarction (OR 2.0 95% CI 1.2, 3.4), age (per 10 years increase: OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.1-1.7) and female gender (0R 2.78 95% CI 1.7, 4.6) were independent predictors of a higher risk of access site complications. CONCLUSIONS: Use of transradial access for PCI is safe and is independently associated with a reduced rate of in-hospital access site complications and reduced length of hospital stay.

Impact of renal insufficiency on angiographic, procedural, and in-hospital outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention.

Patients with chronic renal insufficiency (RI) have higher in-hospital mortality and major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rates after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The mechanisms of this adverse course are not well understood. It was hypothesized that this worse outcome may be caused by inadequate PCI results secondary to more complex coronary anatomy in patients with RI. Baseline, procedural, and outcome variables of all PCI cases at the University Health Network are entered prospectively in the PCI Registry. All PCI cases between April 1, 2000, and October 31, 2005, excluding patients in shock, who had preprocedural creatinine clearance (CrCl) measured were included in this study (n = 10,821 of 11,023 patients). Moderate RI (CrCl <60 ml/min) was evaluated as an independent predictor of procedural outcomes, death, and MACE (defined as death, myocardial infarction, abrupt closure, or coronary artery bypass grafting). Moderate RI (CrCl <60 ml/min) independently predicted the procedural outcomes of worse residual stenosis >20% (p = 0.03), number of undeliverable stents (p = 0.003), and smallest stent diameter (p <0.001). Worst residual stenosis >20% and any undeliverable stent were significantly associated with in-hospital MACEs (odds ratio [OR] 3.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.0 to 5.3, p <0.001 and OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.9, p = 0.002) and mortality (OR 3.82, 95% CI 2.2 to 6.7, p <0.001 and OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.6 to 5.9, p = 0.002). These risks were independent of all other measured variables. In conclusion, moderate to severe RI was a strong predictor of worse procedural results during PCI, which, in turn, were independent predictors of in-hospital MACE and mortality and independent contributors to the higher risk of in-hospital adverse events observed after PCI in patients with RI.

Molecularly targeted oncology therapeutics and prolongation of the QT interval.

Investigation and utilization of molecularly targeted agents has induced a number of drug adverse effects that are not typically associated with conventional chemotherapy. QT interval prolongation, a cardiac toxicity that increases the risk of fatal arrhythmia, is associated with several novel oncology therapies. Classes of molecularly targeted agents with described QT effects include histone deacetylase inhibitors, multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors, vascular disruption agents, farnesyl protein transferase inhibitors, Src/Abl kinase inhibitors, and protein kinase C inhibitors. Concurrently, guidelines for monitoring the QT-prolonging effects of drugs under development have become increasingly rigorous. Although these guidelines apply to anticancer agents, they were not specifically designed for the oncology patient population. This article will review the pathophysiology of QT prolongation, methods of preclinical QT assessment, and current guidelines for QT evaluation in early phase trials. Additionally, molecularly targeted agents with QT effects will be summarized, and mechanisms of addressing this toxicity in the context of oncology drug development will be explored.

Predictors of long-term outcome after crush stenting of coronary bifurcation lesions: importance of the bifurcation angle.

OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that the bifurcation angle (BA) may affect the outcome of crush stenting (CS) of bifurcation lesions and thus set out to determine the effect of the BA on outcome of patients undergoing coronary bifurcation CS. METHODS: Of 538 bifurcation PCI cases performed between November 2003 and March 2005, 133 were performed using CS (n = 56), balloon CS (n = 71), or reverse CS (n = 6). Patients were divided into low-angle and high-angle groups using the median BA as the cut point. RESULTS: The median BA was 50 degrees. High-angle patients were more likely to be women (33% vs 15%, P = .02), with a prior percutaneous coronary intervention (26% vs 12%. P = .05) and coronary artery bypass grafting (15% vs 5%, P = .05). Procedural success was 98.5% in the low-angle and 95.4% in the high-angle group (P = nonsignificant). Two high-angle patients had acute stent thrombosis, and 1 died in hospital. Four additional high-angle patients (6.1%) and 1 low-angle patient (1.5%) died (P = nonsignificant) during follow-up. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) occurred more frequently in the high-angle group (22.7% vs 6.2%, P = .007). Bifurcation angle > or = 50 degrees (P = .004), no final kissing balloon inflation (P = .012), and creatinine clearance < 40 mL/min (P = .031) independently predicted MACE. CONCLUSIONS: Bifurcation angle > or = 50 degrees is an independent predictor of MACE after bifurcation CS, in addition to no final kissing balloon inflation and severe renal dysfunction. A high BA confers a setting of increased turbulent flow that is further exacerbated by suboptimal treatment of the crushed side-branch stent. Further study to improve outcome in this subset of patients is warranted.