[Revascularisation of unprotected left main coronary artery disease: an update]. / Revascularisation du tronc commun coronaire gauche non protégé.

Coronary bypass grafting is the reference treatment of unprotected left main coronary disease. Nevertheless, the experience of invasive cardiologists and the introduction of active stents make angioplasty possible in selected cases. Only the results of controlled clinical trials (SYNTAX trial currently under way) will enable physicians to choose the most appropriate method of revascularisation for their patients.

[Aortic bioprosthesis implanted percutaneously: three year follow up]. / Bioprothèse aortique implantée par voie percutanée: suivi à trois ans.

Percutaneous implantation of a bioprosthesis for the treatment of degenerative aortic stenosis ushered in a new era for interventional cardiology, and now represents the best therapeutic option for a growing number of patients for whom surgical aortic replacement would be too risky. This is the case in about a third of symptomatic patients affected. Between 2003 and 2005, we performed initial feasibility studies (I-REVIVE and RECAST) in Rouen, on non-operable patients in a critical state, included for purely compassionate reasons. The valve used was a pericardial bioprosthesis mounted in an expandable balloon stent. The mean age of the patients was 80 years, all had multiple co-morbidity and had been turned down by the cardiac surgeons. In 33 of the 36 included patients, the technique was attempted by the anterograde trans-septal approach (n=27, success rate 80%) or by the retrograde arterial route (n=7, success rate 57%). Echocardiography following implantation revealed a final aortic surface area of 1.70 cm2 and a transvalvular gradient of 9 mmHg. A significant paravalvular aortic leak was noted in 5 cases. There were 6 deaths by 1 month, related to the procedure, and 10 deaths by 6 months, from non-cardiac causes and not related to the procedure. There was no occurrence of coronary occlusion, secondary displacement or dysfunction of the prosthesis. In December 2006, 8 patients reached 2 years of follow up, and two others reached 3 years, symptom free and still with an unchanged valvular function. Significant technological improvements have made the technique simpler, quicker and safer, with very much improved short and long term results. The new trans-apical approach is under evaluation with some promising initial results. More than 280 patients have been implanted to date. Other implantable prostheses are under evaluation. This therapeutic modality looks likely to develop rapidly, and in the near future it should offer a new and optimal solution for all high surgical risk or non-operable patients.

[Intra-stent restenosis following implantation of a bare endoprosthesis]. / Resténose intra-stent après implantalion d'une endoprothèse nue.

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the immediate and long-term results of various treatments for patients with a primary lesion of intra-stent restenosis (ISR). The study included 214 patients (233 endoprostheses, site of a primary ISR), with an average age of 61+/-11 years. These patients had received one of the following treatments: balloon angioplasty alone (101 patients), implantation of a second endoprosthesis (32 patients), medical treatment (65 patients), or revascularisation surgery with aorto-coronary bypass (16 patients). After retrospective analysis of the initial data, clinical follow-up was studied for all patients, and severe cardiac events were recorded. The immediate treatment of the ISR with angioplasty or bypass had an initial success rate of 100%. At the end of follow up (26+/-1.8 months) for the series as a whole, 9 patients (4.1%) had died, 7 (3.2%) had suffered a myocardial infarction, and 22 (10.3%) had had to undergo a secondary revascularisation procedure. 111 (52%) patients had angiographic follow up. A second ISR was noted in 43 cases (39%). The type of treatment provided was not a predictive factor for the occurrence of a severe cardiac event. In conclusion, whatever treatment of ISR is used, the immediate result is satisfactory. The rate of severe cardiac events is acceptable and in 10.3% of cases necessitates a secondary revascularisation procedure within 2 years. The very promising recent development of new active endoprostheses could alter the management of coronary patients in the years to come.

[Angioscopic evaluation of the immediate result of coronary angioplasty in relation to balloon inflation time]. / Evaluation angioscopique du résultat immédiat de l'angioplastie coronaire en fonction de la durée des gonflages du ballonnet.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of coronary angioplasty on the intima with respect to the duration of balloon inflation by percutaneous angioplasty. Twenty-seven patients were randomized according to the total duration of balloon inflation: Group I "standard" duration (total duration < or = 3 min, N = 13) and Group II: prolonged duration (total duration > or = 12 min, N = 14); the type and distribution of the lesions were comparable in the two groups. The results of angioplasty were evaluated immediately after dilatation by angiography and angioscopy. Angioscopy was performed without failure or complications with perfect definition of the images in all cases. Angioscopy showed 1) intimal tears, 2) thrombi, 3) longitudinal dissections. A classification in three grades was used taking the apparent gravity of the lesions into consideration. The mean duration of balloon inflation in Group I was 205 +/- 45 s and 958 +/- 129 s in Group II. The residual stenosis was 36 +/- 8% in Group I and 26 +/- 10% in Group II (p < 0.05). Angioscopy showed the frequency of intimal tears to be twice greater in Group I (9 cases) than in Group II (4 cases) (p = 0.05). Intravascular thrombi were observed in 13 cases, 6 in Group I and 7 in Group II. One case of longitudinal dissection was observed in each group: only one of these two cases was detected at angiography. The authors conclude that repeated and prolonged balloon inflations improve the immediate results of angioplasty with less residual stenosis at angiography and a lower incidence of intimal tears at angioscopy.

[Effects of repeated and prolonged inflations on immediate angiographic results and complications of coronary angioplasty. Prospective and randomized study]. / Effets de gonflages répétés et prolongés sur le résultat angiographique immédiat et sur les complications de l'angioplastie coronaire. Etude prospective et randomisée.

The effects of the duration of balloon inflation on the immediate and mid-term results of angioplasty were assessed in a randomized study initiated in June 1992. To date, 239 lesions in 224 consecutive patients were allocated randomly into 2 groups according to the duration of balloon inflation: short duration (123 lesions): 3 or 4 successive inflations, each < or = 1 mn, for a total duration < or = 3 min; long duration (116 lesions): 3 to 5 inflations, each of 4 to 5 minutes each for a total duration > or = 12 min. Patients with acute myocardial infarction, restenosis and lesions of bypass grafts were excluded. Stenosis (% of reduction of the internal diameter) was calculated with a digitalised Philips DCI system. Success was defined by < 50% residual stenosis in the absence of severe complications: death, emergency bypass surgery, infarction and extensive and/or occlusive dissection. The baseline clinical, haemodynamic and angiographic parameters of the two groups were comparable. The residual stenosis after angioplasty in the "short duration" group was 33 +/- 11% and 29 +/- 11% in the "long duration" group (p < 0.05). The primary success rate was 75% in the "short duration" compared to 89% in the "long duration" group (< 0.001). Angiographic dissection after angioplasty was observed in 38 cases in the "short" but only in 17 cases in the "long duration" group (p < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Myocardial adaptation to ischemia. A study during repeated prolonged coronary occlusions in angioplasty]. / Adaptation du myocarde à l'ischémie. Etude au cours d'occlusions coronaires répétées et prolongées pour angioplastie.

Coronary angioplasty provides an ideal model for studying ischemic preconditioning in humans. Four coronary occlusions, each lasting 5.2 +/- 1.3 min, separated by 3 min of reperfusion, were performed during angioplasty of isolated stenosis of the left anterior descending artery of 18 patients with stable angina and normal left ventricular function. The ischaemia was evaluated and compared during the first and fourth coronary occlusion with the aid of clinical, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and metabolic parameters. We analysed: 1) interval to chest pain and its intensity; 2) degree of ST change on the intracoronary electrocardiogram; 3) regional wall motion abnormalities on 2D echocardiography; 4) coefficient of myocardial lactate extraction. The results showed that during the fourth occlusion: chest pain occurred later (93 +/- 57 vs 60 +/- 49 s; p < 0.05) and ST elevation was less (0.69 +/- 0.5 vs 1.03 +/- 0.8; p < 0.05). During the fourth occlusion, there was a delay in appearance and a decrease in the regional wall motion abnormalities: anterior wall hypokinesia occurred later: 26 +/- 15 vs 19 +/- 19 s (p = 0.08). Akinesia observed in 10 patients out of 13 (77%) during the first occlusion, was only observed in 8 patients (62%) and dyskinesia, observed in 5 patients out of 13 (38%) during the first occlusion was not observed thereafter in any patient. The production lactate was less important during the fourth occlusion than during the first one: -3 +/- 17% vs -12 +/- 19% (p < 0.05). This study confirms that, in man, preconditioning allows myocardial adaptation to successive episodes of acute ischaemia.

[Percutaneous treatment of aortic stenosis]. / Traitement percutané du rétrécissement aortique.

Degenerative aortic stenosis is the most frequent valvular disease in developed countries. The reference treatment is surgical valve replacement but one third of the patients are not eligible for surgery. Alternative options have been recently proposed using transcatheter valve implantation (transfemoral or trans-apical approaches) in this subset of patients. Two models of valve (balloon expandable or self-expandable) have demonstrated their efficacy and have been implanted to date in over 4000 patients worldwide. These techniques are promising but several issues remain such as the selection of patients, and the safety and durability of the devices currently used.

Mechanical circulatory assistance in myocardial infarction with refractory cardiogenic shock: clinical experience in 10 patients at a teaching hospital in Rouen.

BACKGROUND: In patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), cardiogenic shock (CS) remains associated with a high mortality (close to 50%) despite optimal therapeutic strategy. For those patients who are unlikely to survive, mechanical circulatory support (MCS) might be an additional life saving strategy. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of circulatory assistance in myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock. METHODS: We retrospectively studied the characteristics and clinical outcome of 10 patients hospitalized with acute MI and CS who required MCS. Mean age was 52+/-8 years; location of MI was anterior in 80% of cases. Immediate coronary angiography was performed in all cases 5.8+/-7.0 hours from the onset of symptoms. Intra-aortic balloon pumping was used in 70% of patients and 30% received thrombolysis. Angioplasty with stent implantation was performed in 8 patients. RESULTS: In all patients MCS was placed within a mean of 57+/-92 hours after admission for hemodynamic instability (systolic aortic pressure: 85+/-13 mmHg; mean: 64+/-10 mmHg). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was implanted in 8 patients followed by Thoratec in one. The other 2 patients received a Thoratec and a Heartmate II system respectively. Survival rate was 40% (4 patients): 3 patients underwent heart transplantation at a mean of 93+/-97 days and one patient is alive with definitive implantable Heartmate. The other six patients died in hospital. CONCLUSION: Mechanical circulatory support appeared life saving in 4 out of 10 patients with acute MI and cardiogenic shock refractory to optimal treatment. In this situation, circulatory assistance deserves discussion and the choice of optimal device should be further evaluated.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation: technical aspects, results and indications.

The development of the percutaneous heart valve (PHV) may become a primary therapeutic modality for the high risk and inoperable patients with critical symptomatic aortic stenosis. The first human percutaneous aortic valve implant was performed by our group in April 2002. To date, more than 500 Cribier-Edwards-PHV have been implanted worldwide using arterial trans-femoral or trans-apical approach. Data on the retrograde transfemoral approach is growing with more than 270 patients implanted as of October 2007. Procedural success rate is high (86%) and the 30-day mortality is 12%. Today, 2 patients are alive at a follow-up of more than 4 years. The same Cribier-Edwards-PHV can be implanted using trans-apical approach. In this procedure, PHV is introduced under direct vision into the left ventricle via a mini-thoracotomy. This obviates the concerns regarding vascular access in the presence of small caliber vessels and/or vascular occlusive disease. More than 200 patients have been treated with this approach. In the European experience 30-day mortality is 14%. There is intense interest in PHV technology, and there are multiple devices at various stages of development in animals and humans. The most developed is the CoreValve Revalving Technology. More than 350 patients have been treated with this technique. The immediate and mid-term results with this device are promising with a procedural success of 92% and a 30-day mortality of 15%. The future of this technology and its application is dependent on the continued collaboration between general internists, cardiologists, surgeons, engineers, and industry.

Angioscopic evaluation of prolonged vs standard balloon inflations during coronary angioplasty. A randomized study.

UNLABELLED: To study the immediate effects of prolonged total balloon inflation during PTCA, 41 patients (44 lesions) with chronic stable angina were randomized for prolonged sequential inflations (three to five inflations of 3 to 5 min each, for a total duration of > or = 12 min, group 1, n = 20 lesions) or 'standard' sequential inflations (three to five inflations of < or = 1 min each, for a total duration of < or = 3 min, group 2, n = 24 lesions). The mean duration of total balloon inflation time was 958 +/- 129 s in group 1 vs 205 +/- 46 s in group 2. Results of angioplasty were assessed on both angiography and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioscopy performed immediately after the procedure. High quality imaging of the coronary lumen and lesion morphology was possible on angioscopy in all patients without any complications. Post-PTCA angiographic percent diameter stenosis was significantly less in group 1 compared to group 2: 26 +/- 10% vs 36 +/- 8% (P < 0.05). On angioscopy, flaps were seen in 16 patients in group 2, but in only six in group 1 (P < 0.02). There was no difference in the incidence of thrombi on angioscopy between the two groups (group 1: nine cases, group 2: 10 cases). Sensitivity of angiographic detection of flaps and thrombi was poor: 10% and 12% respectively. One patient in each group developed a longitudinal dissection, detected on both angiography and angioscopy. CONCLUSIONS: (1) prolonged sequential balloon inflations lead to less residual luminal stenosis after PTCA, with a decreased incidence of intimal flaps in comparison with standard inflations. (2) Post-PTCA transluminal coronary angioscopy is safe and offers better assessment of luminal effects of PTCA than angiography.