Patients' perceptions with dabigatran in patients with atrial fibrillation previously treated with vitamin K antagonists.

Aim: To analyze the perception of anticoagulation with dabigatran in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation previously treated with vitamin K antagonists over a 6-month period. Materials & methods: This is a prospective, noninterventional, noncontrolled, multicenter study. To assess patients' perceptions, PACT-Q2 questionnaire was completed. Results: Six hundred and fifty nine patients (73.1 ± 9.4 years, CHA2DS2-VASc 3.6 ± 1.6) were included. At baseline, the convenience and satisfaction scores were 60.9 ± 24.9 and 49.9 ± 17.7, respectively. The scores significantly increased along the study. Convenience score was higher in males and in patients with low-moderate thromboembolic risk. Satisfaction score was higher in females. Only 8.0% of patients discontinued dabigatran (3.7% due to side effects). Conclusion: Convenience and satisfaction scores for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients treated with dabigatran at 6 months were significantly better than with previous vitamin K antagonists.

[Interventional cardiology. Where are we and where are we going from here?]. / Intervencionismo percutáneo. Dónde estamos y adónde vamos?

This article summarizes 20 years of percutaneous interventional cardiology for coronary angioplasty. During this period, interventional cardiology has evolved faster than any other type of treatment in the field of cardiovascular diseases. We describe the early results of interventional cardiology, the increase in primary success rates and the reduction in complication rates for percutaneous techniques during this period, which coincided with the introduction of technological advances. In the early 1990s, primary success rates for the treatment of coronary lesions stood at 86%-88%, with a restenosis rate of 30%-40% at 6-month follow-up. Current primary success rates have risen to over 95% with a restenosis rate of under 10%, even for many types of lesions classically considered complex. Currently the main limitations in interventional cardiology remain coronary segments that cannot be accessed due to chronic total occlusion, or severe proximal tortuosity or calcification. Rapid improvements have led to broader clinical indications for percutaneous revascularization procedures, and have made frequent updates of clinical practice guidelines necessary. Meanwhile, comparative studies involving other modes of surgical revascularization have become extremely difficult because percutaneous methods used in long-term studies begun 5 to 10 years have become obsolete.

[Severe mitral regurgitation in Libman-Sacks endocarditis. Conservative surgery]. / Regurgitación mitral severa en endocarditis de Libman-Sacks. Cirugía reparadora.

Libman-Sacks endocarditis is a classic but rarely symptomatic manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus, and valvular surgery is needed in a few cases. We present a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and Libman-Sacks endocarditis that progressed rapidly to severe mitral regurgitation that needed surgery; surgical valve repair was decided upon. The literature on this topic is reviewed.

[Six-month intravascular ultrasound follow-up of coronary bifurcation lesions treated with rapamycin-eluting stents: technical considerations]. / Ecografía intracoronaria durante el seguimiento en la valoración de stents liberadores de rapamicina para el tratamiento de las lesiones en bifurcación: implicaciones técnicas.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: In vitro studies show that stents deform when dilated laterally to access a side branch. This phenomenon may be avoided by use of a kissing balloon at the end of the procedure. However, to date, no in vivo data are available. Our objectives were to investigate the main vessel stent using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) at six-month follow-up in 55 patients with bifurcation lesions treated using rapamycin-eluting stents and to examine the effect of technical factors. PATIENTS AND METHOD: All patients were treated using provisional or T stents. At 6 months, IVUS measurements were made in the main vessel at both proximal and distal ends of the stent, in reference segments, immediately below the side branch ostium, and at the points where the lumen was smallest and where stent expansion was greatest. RESULTS: The lumen area immediately below the side branch ostium was significantly smaller than that at the point of maximum stent expansion (6.7 [1.8] vs 5.1 [1.3] mm2; P<.05). Underexpansion was not influenced by use of a kissing balloon (stent area immediately under the side branch ostium: 5.5 [0.9] vs 5.6 [1.6] mm2; P=NS) and only one patient experienced restenosis at this point. The lumen areas at the proximal and distal edges of the stent were almost identical in patients who did or did not undergo balloon dilation beyond the ends of the stent. CONCLUSIONS: Stent underexpansion below the side branch ostium was frequently found following provisional or T stenting of bifurcation lesions. This minor stent deformity was not prevented by use of a kissing balloon nor by any specific side branch treatment and had no significant impact on the restenosis rate.

Ecografía intracoronaria durante el seguimiento en la valoración de stents liberadores de rapamicina para el tratamiento de las lesiones en bifurcación: implicaciones técnicas / Six-month intravascular ultrasound follow-up of coronary bifurcation lesions treated with rapamycin-eluting stents: technical considerations

Introducción y objetivos. Los estudios in vitro han mostrado que el stent se deforma cuando se dilata lateralmente para acceder a un ramo colateral. Así, se han propuesto algunas técnicas para evitar este fenómeno; sin embargo, no hay información in vivo disponible. El objetivo es investigar los hallazgos ultrasónicos a los 6 meses en 55 pacientes con lesiones localizadas en bifurcación tratados mediante stents de rapamicina.Pacientes y método. Todos los pacientes fueron tratados con stent en el vaso principal y stent o dilatación con balón en el ramo colateral. Se analizaron los bordes del stent, los segmentos de referencia, el diámetro mínimo de la luz, el punto inmediatamente tras la salida del ramo colateral y el stent en el punto de máxima expansión.Resultados. El área de la luz en el punto inmediatamente tras la salida del ramo colateral fue significativamente más pequeña que en el punto de máxima expansión (6,7 ± 1,8 frente a 5,1 ± 1,3 mm²; p < 0,05). Esta inexpansión del stent no estuvo influida por el uso del inflado simultáneo de balones al final del procedimiento (área del stent inmediatamente bajo el origen del ramo colateral, 5,5 ± 0,9 frente a 5,6 ± 1,6 mm²; p = NS). El área de la luz en los bordes fue prácticamente idéntica entre pacientes con y sin inflado de balón más allá de los límites del stent.Conclusiones. Cierto grado de inexpansión del stent inmediatamente después de la salida del ramo colateral fue un hallazgo frecuente en pacientes con bifurcaciones tratados con stents en el ramo principal y stent provisional en el ramo colateral. Esta deformidad no fue prevenida por variables técnicas y no tuvo un impacto significativo en la incidencia de reestenosis

Introduction and objectives. In vitro studies show that stents deform when dilated laterally to access a side branch. This phenomenon may be avoided by use of a kissing balloon at the end of the procedure. However, to date, no in vivo data are available. Our objectives were to investigate the main vessel stent using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) at six-month follow-up in 55 patients with bifurcation lesions treated using rapamycin-eluting stents and to examine the effect of technical factors.Patients and method. All patients were treated using provisional or T stents. At 6 months, IVUS measurements were made in the main vessel at both proximal and distal ends of the stent, in reference segments, immediately below the side branch ostium, and at the points where the lumen was smallest and where stent expansion was greatest.Results. The lumen area immediately below the side branch ostium was significantly smaller than that at the point of maximum stent expansion (6.7 [1.8] vs 5.1 [1.3] mm²; P<.05). Underexpansion was not influenced by use of a kissing balloon (stent area immediately under the side branch ostium: 5.5 [0.9] vs 5.6 [1.6] mm²; P=NS) and only one patient experienced restenosis at this point. The lumen areas at the proximal and distal edges of the stent were almost identical in patients who did or did not undergo balloon dilation beyond the ends of the stent.Conclusions. Stent underexpansion below the side branch ostium was frequently found following provisional or T stenting of bifurcation lesions. This minor stent deformity was not prevented by use of a kissing balloon nor by any specific side branch treatment and had no significant impact on the restenosis rate

Regurgitación mitral severa en endocarditis de Libman-Sacks. Cirugía reparadora / Severe mitral regurgitation in Libman-Sacks endocarditis. Conservative surgery

La endocarditis de Libman-Sacks es la afección cardíaca más clásica del lupus eritematoso, pero la afectación clínica es poco frecuente, por lo que la cirugía valvular es necesaria en pocas ocasiones. Presentamos un caso de lupus eritematoso con endocarditis de Libman-Sacks que evolucionó rápidamente a regurgitación mitral severa con necesidad de cirugía, por lo que se optó por la reparación valvular. Se hace una revisión de la literatura médica del tema (AU)

Libman-Sacks endocarditis is a classic but rarely symptomatic manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus, and valvular surgery is needed in a few cases. We present a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and Libman-Sacks endocarditis that progressed rapidly to severe mitral regurgitation that needed surgery; surgical valve repair was decided upon. The literature on this topic is reviewed (AU)

Intervencionismo percutáneo. ¿Dónde estamos y adónde vamos? / Interventional Cardiology. Where are we and where are we going from here?

Este artículo tiene como objetivo resumir 2 décadas de intervencionismo coronario percutáneo. Durante este tiempo, esta modalidad terapéutica ha evolucionado más rápidamente que cualquier otra forma de tratamiento en el campo de las enfermedades cardiovasculares. Se describen los resultados del intervencionismo en la primera época, así como el incremento en la tasa de éxito primario y la reducción de complicaciones durante estos años, coincidiendo con la incorporación de los nuevos avances tecnológicos. La tasa de éxito primario al comienzo de la década de los noventa en el tratamiento percutáneo delas lesiones coronarias era del 86-88%, con una incidencia de reestenosis del 30-40%. En la actualidad, las cifras de éxito primario han aumentado a más de un 95% y la tasa de reestenosis se ha reducido a menos del 10%, incluidos muchos tipos de lesiones clásicamente consideradas complejas. La principal limitación del intervencionismo coronario actual son lesiones en las que resulta imposible acceder debido a una oclusión antigua o a tortuosidad o calcificación extrema de los segmentos proximales. Los avances tan rápidos de estos años han permitido ampliar las indicaciones de esta modalidad de revascularización y han obligado a revisar con frecuencia las guías de actuación clínica. Al mismo tiempo, resulta muy difícil analizar los estudios comparativos con otras modalidades de revascularización debido a que la metodología utilizada en estudios con 5-10 años de seguimiento ha quedado obsoleta hoy día

This article summarizes 20 years of percutaneous interventional cardiology for coronary angioplasty. During this period, interventional cardiology has evolved faster than any other type of treatment in the field of cardiovascular diseases. We describe the early results of interventional cardiology, the increase in primary success rates and the reduction in complication rates for percutaneous techniques during this period, which coincided with the introduction of technological advances. In the early 1990s, primary success rates for the treatment of coronary lesions stood at 86%-88%, with a restenosis rate of 30%-40% at6-month follow-up. Current primary success rates have risen to over 95% with a restenosis rate of under 10%,even for many types of lesions classically considered complex. Currently the main limitations in interventional cardiology remain coronary segments that cannot be accessed due to chronic total occlusion, or severe proximal tortuosity or calcification. Rapid improvements have led to broader clinical indications for percutaneous revascularization procedures, and have made frequent updates of clinical practice guidelines necessary. Meanwhile, comparative studies involving other modes of surgical revascularization have become extremely difficult because percutaneous methods used in long-term studies begun 5 to 10years have become obsolete