Combined Rotational excimer lASER coronary atherectomy (RASER) in non-crossable, non-dilatable coronary artery disease: observations from a single center.

BACKGROUND: Balloon non-crossable stenoses represent a challenging subset of coronary artery disease (CAD). They are clinically associated with patients who are older, frailer, and with multi-morbidities, and angiographically with increased tortuosity and coronary artery calcification. Combined rotational (RA) excimer laser coronary atherectomy (ELCA), or RASER, may facilitate stent delivery and deployment in non-crossable, non-dilatable severely calcified lesions. In this study, we assessed preliminary safety and efficacy of the RASER hybrid technique. METHODS: RASER feasible percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures performed at a large tertiary hospital in the northeast of England were retrospectively analyzed from September 1, 2008, to February 28, 2022. Major endpoints were in-hospital death from any cause, as well as procedural and angiographic success, defined by stent delivery with less than 50% residual stenosis and without clinical or angiographic complications, respectively. RESULTS: From 74 unique cases, there were 28 RASER, 24 ELCA/RA, 16 balloon angioplasty ± stenting, and 6 medically treated patients. In-hospital mortality rate was 5.2%, including 1 ELCA- and 3 RASER-treated patients. Successful stent delivery was achieved in significantly more RASER-treated patients compared to ELCA/RA- or balloon-treated patients: 96.4% (27/28), 25% (6/24), and 31.3% (5/16) respectively (P less than .001). CONCLUSIONS: In our retrospective, single-center study, patients with CAD who were deemed appropriate for RASER PCI had a high peri-procedural mortality rate. In this context, adjunctive RASER therapy provides acceptable safety and efficacy as a bailout strategy, with at least 3 out of 5 patients achieving satisfactory procedural and angiographic results. Randomized controlled trials are needed to comprehensively compare the clinical outcomes of high-risk RASER PCI vs conservative medical therapy.

Establishment and validation of a heart failure risk prediction model for elderly patients after coronary rotational atherectomy based on machine learning.

Objective: To develop and validate a heart failure risk prediction model for elderly patients after coronary rotational atherectomy based on machine learning methods. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to select 303 elderly patients with severe coronary calcification as the study subjects. According to the occurrence of postoperative heart failure, the study subjects were divided into the heart failure group (n = 53) and the non-heart failure group (n = 250). Retrospective collection of clinical data from the study subjects during hospitalization. After processing the missing values in the original data and addressing sample imbalance using Adaptive Synthetic Sampling (ADASYN) method, the final dataset consists of 502 samples: 250 negative samples (i.e., patients not suffering from heart failure) and 252 positive samples (i.e., patients with heart failure). According to a 7:3 ratio, the datasets of 502 patients were randomly divided into a training set (n = 351) and a validation set (n = 151). On the training set, logistic regression (LR), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), support vector machine (SVM), and lightweight gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) algorithms were used to construct heart failure risk prediction models; Evaluate model performance on the validation set by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, F1-score, and prediction accuracy. Result: A total of 17.49% of 303 patients occured postoperative heart failure. The AUC of LR, XGBoost, SVM, and LightGBM models in the training set were 0.872, 1.000, 0.699, and 1.000, respectively. After 10 fold cross validation, the AUC was 0.863, 0.972, 0.696, and 0.963 in the training set, respectively. Among them, XGBoost had the highest AUC and better predictive performance, while SVM models had the worst performance. The XGBoost model also showed good predictive performance in the validation set (AUC = 0.972, 95% CI [0.951-0.994]). The Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) method suggested that the six characteristic variables of blood cholesterol, serum creatinine, fasting blood glucose, age, triglyceride and NT-proBNP were important positive factors for the occurrence of heart failure, and LVEF was important negative factors for the occurrence of heart failure. Conclusion: The seven characteristic variables of blood cholesterol, blood creatinine, fasting blood glucose, NT-proBNP, age, triglyceride and LVEF are all important factors affecting the occurrence of heart failure. The prediction model of heart failure risk for elderly patients after CRA based on the XGBoost algorithm is superior to SVM, LightGBM and the traditional LR model. This model could be used to assist clinical decision-making and improve the adverse outcomes of patients after CRA.

Halftime rotational atherectomy: a unique concept for diffuse long severely calcified lesions.

Rotational atherectomy (RA) is technically more difficult in a diffuse calcified lesion than in a focal calcified lesion. We hypothesized that taking a halftime can be another option for RA to the diffuse calcified lesions. Halftime was defined as at least one long break during RA, in which an operator pulled out the Rotablator system from the guide catheter before crossing the lesion. This study aimed to compare the complications between RA with and without halftime. We included 177 diffuse long severely calcified lesions (lesion lengths ≥ 30 mm) that required RA, and divided those lesions into a halftime group (n = 29) and a no-halftime group (n = 148). The primary outcome was periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI). The reference diameter was smaller in the halftime group than in the no-halftime group [1.82 (1.70-2.06) mm versus 2.17 (1.89-2.59) mm, p = 0.002]. The total run time was longer in the halftime group than in the non-halftime group [133.0 (102.0-223.0) seconds versus 71.5 (42.0-108.0) seconds, p < 0.001]. Although creatinine kinase (CK) and CK-myocardial band (MB) was significantly higher in the halftime group than in the no-halftime group [CK: 156 (97-308) U/L versus 99 (59-216) U/L, p = 0.021; CK-MB: 15 (8-24) U/L versus 5 (3-15) U/L, p < 0.001], periprocedural MI was not observed in the halftime group. In conclusion, periprocedural MI was not observed in RA with halftime. This preliminary study suggests that halftime RA may be a safe option for diffuse severely calcified lesions.

Orbital atherectomy safety and efficacy: A comparative analysis of ostial versus non-ostial calcified coronary lesions.

BACKGROUND: The safety and efficacy of coronary orbital atherectomy (OA) for treatment of ostial lesions are not yet fully established. We sought to evaluate (OA) treatment of severely calcified ostial and non-ostial lesions. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of subjects treated with OA for severely calcified ostial and non-ostial lesions, at the Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida (MSMCMB) from January 2014 to September 2020, was completed. Study baseline characteristics, lesion and vessel characteristics, procedural outcomes, and in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: A total of 609 patients that underwent PCI with OA were identified. The majority of patients (81.9 %) had non-ostial lesions, while 16.6 % had ostial lesions (of which 2.8 % classified as aorto-ostial) and 1.5 % had unknown lesion anatomy. The mean age of the overall cohort was 74.0 ± 9.3 years, and 63.5 % were male. All patients received drug-eluting stent (DES) placement, and the overall freedom from MACE was 98.5 %, with no significant difference observed between the ostial and non-ostial groups. The freedom from cardiac death and MI was also similar between the two groups. There were low rates of bleeding complications and severe angiographic complications, and no persistent slow flow/no reflow was reported. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated no significant differences in in-hospital MACE outcomes between patients with ostial versus non-ostial lesions, indicating that OA is a safe and effective treatment option for both lesion types, including those classified as aorto-ostial.

JETWING technique: Combination therapy of JETSTREAMⓇ and aggressive wire recanalization in calcified atheroma and dilatation technique for eccentric heavy calcified plaques using WINGMAN for insertion of protection wire.

Although endovascular treatment (EVT) has developed and still progressing, calcified lesions remain a big challenge to operators in obtaining good results. Whenever, the eccentric and calcified plaques or nodules are present, balloon dilatation may be difficult and vascular complications may frequently occur. We present a 73-year-old woman, with severe, eccentric, calcified lesion in the right superficial femoral artery (SFA). First, we performed the aggressive wire recanalization in calcified atheroma and dilatation (ARCADIA) technique for the eccentric plaques. Then, we used a WingmanⓇ crossing catheter (ReFlow Medical, Inc.) to penetrate and pass through the calcifications and eventually exchanged to a ParachuteⓇ (Good Care, Inc.) filter wire. Finally, we performed rotational atherectomy using the JETSTREAMⓇ (Boston Scientific) rotational atherectomy device for debulking to obtain good lesion expansion and was able to avoid potential complications. Performing ARCADIA technique then using a Wingman catheter for inserting a filter wire before JETSTREAMⓇ atherectomy is safe and effective for heavily calcified, eccentric lesions. Further studies will be needed to validate the safety and efficacy of this approach.

Impact of atherothrombotic risk stratification in patients with heavily calcified lesions following rotational atherectomy.

BACKGROUND: Patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with rotational atherectomy (RA) are at high risk of adverse clinical outcomes, and there are few clinical risk stratification tools for these patients. METHODS: We conducted a study with 196 patients who underwent PCI with RA out of 7391 patients who underwent PCI using a multicenter, prospective cohort registry. Patients were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Risk Score for Secondary Prevention (TRS 2°P): 65 patients in the T1 group (TRS 2°P < 3), 66 patients in the T2 group (TRS 2°P = 3), and 65 patients in the T3 group (TRS 2°P > 3). The primary endpoint was the cumulative 2-year incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), defined as a composite of cardiac death, acute coronary syndrome, and ischemic stroke. RESULTS: Cumulative 2-year MACCE occurred in 41 patients (24 %) during the follow-up period. The cumulative incidence of MACCE was significantly higher in the T3 group than in the T1 group (log-rank test, p = 0.02). Multivariate Cox analyses revealed that the T3 group was associated with an increased risk of MACCE compared to that of the T1 group (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.66; 95 % confidence interval, 1.04-6.77; p = 0.04). The addition of TRS 2°P to conventional risk factors, including male sex, number of diseased vessels, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, improved the net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) (NRI 0.39, p = 0.027; IDI 0.072, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Atherothrombotic risk stratification using TRS 2°P was useful in identifying high-risk patients with heavily calcified lesions following RA.

Burr entrapment in a percutaneous coronary intervention during rotational atherectomy: An experience with 3195 cases.

OBJECTIVES: Burr entrapment is a potentially life-threatening complication of rotational atherectomy (RA). However, owing to its infrequency, there have been no major reports on burr entrapment. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of burr entrapment. METHODS: This multicenter retrospective study analyzed patients who had undergone percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) and were treated by RA between May 2013 and March 2022. RESULTS: Of the 22 640 PCI procedures, RA was performed in 3195 patients (14.1%), among whom burr entrapment occurred in 22 patients (0.69%). The mean patient age was 78 ± 8.7 years; 64% were male, and 32% were on dialysis. The entrapped burr size was 1.7 ± 0.2 mm, and the burr/artery ratio was 0.6 ± 0.1. In 20 patients (91%), the burr was extracted by strong manual pullback. The other patients underwent balloon angioplasty at the site of the entrapped burr, which might have provided space for successful burr withdrawal. Major adverse cardiac events occurred in 23% of patients. Tamponade requiring pericardiocentesis occurred in two patients (9%). No patients required emergency surgery or suffered an in-hospital death. CONCLUSIONS: Burr entrapment occurred in 0.69% of patients who had undergone RA. Most burrs were extracted by a strong manual pullback. None required emergency surgery, and there were no in-hospital deaths. The results provide a treatment approach and prognosis for burr stuck in the use of RA.

One-year outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with the revived directional coronary atherectomy catheter: Insights from the J-PCI OUTCOME registry.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate the 1-year outcomes, including all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), and major bleeding, of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with or without the revived directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) catheter in a Japanese nationwide registry. BACKGROUND: Clinical data regarding the midterm outcomes of patients undergoing PCI with DCA are scarce in contemporary real-world practice. METHODS: We analyzed the data of 74,764 patients who underwent PCI at 179 hospitals from January 2017 to December 2018. The baseline characteristics and 1-year outcomes of patients with stable coronary artery disease or unstable angina who underwent PCI with or without DCA were assessed. RESULTS: Overall, 431 patients (0.6%) underwent PCI with DCA. Patients in the DCA group were younger and predominantly male, with fewer comorbidities than patients in the non-DCA group. Stentless PCI with DCA following additional drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty was the dominant strategy in the DCA group (43.6%). One-year outcomes, including all-cause mortality (1.2% in the DCA group vs. 2.5% in the non-DCA group, respectively, p = 0.075), cardiovascular death (0.9% vs. 1.0%, p = 0.69), MACEs (1.9% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.96), and nonfatal major bleeding requiring readmission (1.2% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.62), were comparable between the two groups. In the DCA group, 1-year outcomes were comparable, regardless of whether the stent or DCB was used. CONCLUSIONS: One-year clinical outcomes after PCI with DCA in patients with stable coronary artery disease or unstable angina are acceptable, regardless of stent use.

Prognostic Impact of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Heavily Calcified Coronary Artery Disease Receiving Rotational Atherectomy.

Background and Objectives: Although both rotational atherectomy (RA) and atrial fibrillation (AF) have a high thrombotic risk, there have been no previous studies on the prognostic impact of AF in patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using RA. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the prognostic impact of AF in patients undergoing PCI using RA. Materials and Methods: A total of 540 patients who received PCI using RA were enrolled between January 2010 and October 2019. Patients were divided into AF and sinus rhythm groups according to the presence of AF. The primary endpoint was net adverse clinical events (NACEs) defined as a composite outcome of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, cerebrovascular accident, or total bleeding. Results: Although in-hospital adverse events showed no difference between those with AF and those without AF (in-hospital events, 54 (11.0%) vs. 6 (12.2%), p = 0.791), AF was strongly associated with an increased risk of NACE at 3 years (NACE: hazard ratio, 1.880; 95% confidence interval, 1.096-3.227; p = 0.022). Conclusions: AF in patients who underwent PCI using RA was strongly associated with poor clinical outcomes. Thus, more attention should be paid to thrombotic and bleeding risks.

Intravascular lithotripsy compared to rotational atherectomy for the treatment of calcified distal left main coronary artery disease: A single center experience.

BACKGROUND: The safety and efficacy of intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) for the treatment of calcified distal left main (LM) disease remains unclear, especially compared to rotational atherectomy (RA). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the baseline clinical, angiographic, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) characteristics and procedural outcomes of 107 patients who underwent distal LM percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with IVL (with or without adjunct atherectomy) versus RA alone for plaque modification before stenting at a single center between 2020 and 2022. RESULTS: A total of 50 patients underwent calcium modification with IVL with or without adjunct atherectomy and 57 with RA only. The mean age was 73 years and with a high prevalence of diabetes (58.9%), chronic kidney disease (42.1%), prior revascularization (coronary artery bypass graft surgery [36.4%] or prior PCI [32.7%]). Acute coronary syndrome was the primary indication for PCI in over 50% of the patients in both groups. Medina 1-1-1 LM bifurcation disease was identified in 64% and 60% of the IVL and RA groups (p = 0.64) respectively. Final minimum stent area in distal LM (>8.2 mm2 ), ostial LAD (>6.3 mm2 ) and ostial LCX (>5.0 mm2 ) were achieved in 96%, 85% and 89% of cases treated with IVL respectively and 93%, 93% and 100% of cases treated with RA respectively (LM p = 1.00; LAD p = 0.62; LCX; p = 1.00 for difference between the two groups). Procedural success (technical success without in-hospital major adverse events) was achieved in 98% of the IVL group and 86% of the RA-only group (p = 0.04). There were eight procedural complications (flow-limiting dissection, perforation, or slow/no-reflow) in the RA group compared to four in the IVL group (NS), and one patient in the RA required salvaged mechanical support compared to none in the IVL group. CONCLUSION: Plaque modification with coronary IVL appears to be efficacious and safe for the treatment of severely calcified distal LM lesions compared to RA only. Larger randomized studies are needed to confirm these findings.