The effectiveness of excimer laser angioplasty to treat coronary in-stent restenosis with peri-stent calcium as assessed by optical coherence tomography.

AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) to treat in-stent restenosis (ISR) due to peri-stent calcium-related stent underexpansion as assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 81 patients (81 lesions with ISR, stent underexpansion, and peri-stent calcium >90°) who underwent OCT imaging both pre and post percutaneous coronary intervention and compared lesions treated with ELCA (n=23) vs. without ELCA (n=58). ELCA use was associated with more calcium fracture (ELCA: 61%, non-ELCA: 12%, p<0.01), larger final minimum lumen area (ELCA: 4.76 mm2 [3.25, 5.57], non-ELCA: 3.46 mm2 [2.80, 4.13], p<0.01), and a larger previously implanted stent area (ELCA: 6.15 mm2 [4.83, 7.09], non-ELCA: 4.65 mm2 [3.84, 5.40], p<0.01). In the multivariable model, ELCA use was associated with peri-stent calcium fracture (odds ratio 46.5, 95% confidence interval: 6.8, 315.9, p<0.001) that, in turn, was associated with final larger lumen and stent dimensions. Finally, contrast injection during ELCA was associated with multiple calcium fractures and fractures even in thicker calcium. CONCLUSIONS: ELCA is effective for treating ISR with underexpansion by disrupting peri-stent calcium, facilitating better expansion of the previously implanted stent.

Safety of Same-Day Discharge after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Orbital Atherectomy.

BACKGROUND: Severely calcified lesions present many challenges to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Orbital atherectomy (OA) aids vessel preparation and treatment of severely calcified coronary lesions. Same-day discharge (SDD) after PCI has numerous advantages including cost savings and improved patient satisfaction. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety of SDD among patients treated with OA in a real-world setting. METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective analysis of patients undergoing OA. In-hospital and 30-day outcomes were assessed for major adverse cardiac events (MACE), device-related events and hospital readmissions. RESULTS: There were 309 patients treated with OA of whom 94 had SDD (30.4%). Among SDD patients, there were no acute procedural complications and all patients were safely discharged on the day of the procedure. MACE at 30 days occurred in 1 patient (1.06%) due to major bleeding in the setting of a gastric arteriovenous malformation. There were 8 patients with unplanned 30-day readmissions (8.5%). CONCLUSION: SDD after OA in patients with heavily calcified lesions appears to be safe, with low rates of adverse events and readmissions in select patients. In patients with SDD treated with OA, unplanned readmission occurred at a similar rate to the statewide average 30-day PCI readmission rate. Larger studies are needed to confirm the safety of this treatment paradigm and the potential cost savings.