Prognostic value of transvalvular flow rate in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis: A dobutamine stress echocardiography study.

BACKGROUNDS: There are limited data on the clinical relevance of transvalvular flow rate (Qmean ) at rest (Qrest) and at peak stress (Qstress ) during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis (LG-SAS). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with LG-SAS who underwent DSE. LG-SAS was defined as an aortic valve (AV) area index of < .6 cm2 /m2 and a mean AV pressure gradient (AVPG) of < 40 mm Hg. The primary endpoint included all-cause death and heart failure hospitalization. RESULTS: Of 100 patients (mean age 79.5 ± 7.3 years; men, 45.0%; resting left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] 52.1% ± 15.9%; resting stroke volume index 35.8 ± 7.7 mL/m2 ; Qrest 171.8 ± 34.9 mL/s), the primary endpoint occurred in 51 patients during a median follow-up of 2.84 (interquartile range 1.01-5.21) years. When the study patients were divided into three subgroups based on Qrest and Qstress , the multivariate analysis showed that Qrest < 200 mL/s and Qstress ≥200 mL/s (hazard ratio 3.844; 95% confidence interval 1.143-12.930; p = .030), as well as Qrest and Qstress < 200 mL/s (hazard ratio 9.444; 95% confidence interval 2.420-36.850; p = .001), were significantly associated with unfavorable outcomes with Qrest and Qstress ≥200 mL/s as a reference after adjusting for resting LVEF, resting mean AVPG, chronic kidney disease, New York Heart Association functional class III/IV, and AV replacement. CONCLUSIONS: Flow conditions based on the combination of Qrest and Qstress are helpful for risk stratification in LG-SAS patients.

Effect of Diastolic Flow Reversal Patterns on Clinical Outcomes Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation　- An Intraprocedural Echocardiography Study.

BACKGROUND: Although diastolic flow reversal (DFR) in the descending aorta, assessed via transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), is a simple and easy indicator for evaluating aortic regurgitation, the association between DFR pattern and clinical outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of DFR patterns on clinical outcomes following TAVI.Methods and Results:Two-hundred and eleven patients (mean age, 83.6±5.7 years; 69% female) who underwent TAVI were retrospectively assessed via intraprocedural TEE. DFR was evaluated using pulsed-wave Doppler in the descending aorta before and after TAVI. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events (MACCEs). Although only 7 patients (3.3%) had moderate or severe paravalvular leak, as assessed by color Doppler echocardiography, holo-DFR (HDFR) was observed in 33 patients (16.0%) after TAVI. MACCEs occurred in 40 patients during the median follow up of 282 days (interquartile range: 160-478 days). The estimated cumulative MACCE-free survival at 1 year was significantly lower in patients with HDFR than in those without HDFR. A Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that HDFR after TAVI was independently associated with MACCEs. CONCLUSIONS: HDFR was associated with an increased risk of MACCEs after TAVI. DFR evaluated by intraprocedural echocardiography could serve as a simple and easy method for predicting clinical outcomes.

Usefulness of velocity ratio in patients with moderate aortic stenosis and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.

Background. Moderate aortic stenosis (AS) increases left ventricular afterload and results in unfavorable outcomes in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Velocity ratio (VR) may be appropriate for the evaluation of aortic valve (AV) hemodynamics because of the low dependence on flow. Therefore, this study investigated the usefulness of VR on the clinical outcomes of such patients. Method. Clinical data of patients with moderate AS (AV area, 0.60-0.85 cm2/m2; peak AV velocity, 2.0-4.0 m/s) and reduced LVEF (LVEF 20-50%) were analyzed during 2010-2018. VR was calculated as peak left ventricular outflow tract velocity/peak AV velocity. The primary endpoint included all-cause death, heart failure hospitalization, and AV replacement. Results. In total, 104 patients (mean age, 75.9 ± 7.0 years; 62.5% men) were included. LVEF was 39.5% ± 7.8%. The AV area was 0.72 ± 0.08 cm2/m2, peak AV velocity was 2.59 ± 0.40 m/s, and VR was 0.30 ± 0.07. The follow-up period was 1.7 (0.5-3.5) years. Kaplan-Meier estimates for the endpoint were 59.9% at 3 years. Multivariable analysis revealed that VR (hazard ratio, 0.947; 95% confidence interval, 0.905-0.990; p = .018) was significantly related to this endpoint. Patients with a VR <0.25 had significantly higher incidence rates of the endpoint than those with a VR ≥0.25 (85.6% versus 47.8% at 3 years; p < .001). Conclusions. Patients with moderate AS and reduced LVEF have unfavorable clinical outcomes, particularly those with low VR.

Impact of perioperative change in physical function on midterm outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Preoperative frailty diminishes the potential for functional recovery after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). However, perioperative changes in physical status and their impact on prognosis after TAVI have not previously been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether perioperative changes in physical function affect prognosis in patients undergoing TAVI. We retrospectively reviewed 257 patients who underwent TAVI. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), an objective physical status assessment tool, was evaluated pre- and post-TAVI. Patients were divided into two groups: (i) patients whose SPPB score declined in the perioperative period (the decline group) and (ii) patients whose SPPB score did not decline in the perioperative period (the non-decline group). The primary endpoint was unplanned hospitalization owing to heart failure or cardiovascular death following TAVI. The mean follow-up period was 385 ± 151 days, mean age was 83.2 ± 5.8 years, and 67% of the patients were women. Sixteen patients required readmission owing to heart failure, and seven experienced cardiovascular-related death. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the event-free rate was significantly lower in the decline group (log-rank, p = 0.006). A stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a perioperative change in SPPB was significantly associated with primary endpoints (odds ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.04). Perioperative change in physical function was an independent risk factor for heart failure, hospitalization, or cardiovascular death following TAVI.

Prognostic significance of right ventricular function during exercise in asymptomatic/minimally symptomatic patients with nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: The risk stratification of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) without left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction and the utility of exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) remains unclear. We investigated the value of right ventricular (RV) function and RV-pulmonary artery (PA) coupling during exercise in asymptomatic/minimally symptomatic patients with nonobstructive HCM (nHCM). METHOD AND RESULTS: This retrospective study evaluated 74 HCM patients (age 63 ± 13 years, 65% men) without LVOT obstruction (≥30 mmHg) who underwent​ ESE. Eight patients (11%) suffered from HCM-related cardiac events during a median 2.5 years follow-up. During exercise, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (Ex-TAPSE) and Ex-TAPSE/systolic pulmonary artery pressure [SPAP] ratio were more impaired in patients with than in those without events (22 ± 4 vs 26 ± 4 mm, P = .005; and 0.45 [0.41, 0.47] vs 0.56 [0.47, 0.82] mm/mmHg, P = .002). In Cox regression analysis, Ex-TAPSE (HR: 1.397, P = .002) and the Ex-TAPSE/SPAP ratio (HR: 2.737, P = .006) were associated with cardiac events. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients with a low Ex-TAPSE (<24 mm) and Ex-TAPSE/SPAP ratio (<0.50 mm/mmHg) had a higher incidence of adverse outcomes than those with high Ex-TAPSE (Log rank, P < .001 and =.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A low Ex-TAPSE and Ex-TAPSE/SPAP ratio were associated with adverse outcomes in nHCM. Evaluation of RV functional performance during exercise may play a crucial role in the risk stratification of nHCM.

Resting echocardiographic predictors for true-severe aortic stenosis in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis: A dobutamine stress echocardiography study.

OBJECTIVE: Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is not always feasible in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis (LG-SAS), and there are limited data available on the resting echocardiographic predictors for true-severe aortic stenosis (TSAS). This study investigated resting echocardiographic predictors for TSAS. METHODS: Clinical data of 106 LG-SAS patients who underwent DSE were retrospectively analyzed. LG-SAS was defined as an aortic valve area index (AVAi) < .6 cm2 /m2 , and a mean AV pressure gradient < 40 mm Hg. The velocity ratio (VR) was calculated as the peak left ventricular outflow tract velocity/peak AV velocity. TSAS was defined as a projected AVAi < .6 cm2 /m2 . RESULTS: The mean age was 79.3 ± 7.3 years, and 45 (42.5%) were men. The resting AV data were as follows: AVAi, .50 ± .07 cm2 /m2 ; mean AV pressure gradient, 23.0 ± 7.4 mm Hg; and VR, .25 ± .05. The projected AVAi was .58 ± .09 cm2 /m2 , and TSAS was documented in 65 (61.3%) patients. In multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of TSAS were AVAi (p = 0.012) and VR (p = 0.004) with respective best cut-off values of .52 cm2 /m2 and .25 on receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. According to incremental numbers of the predictors, correct classification percentages of TSAS significantly increased with the Cochran-Armitage trend test (16.2% in no predictors, 65.2% in one predictor, and 95.7 % in two predictors; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Resting AVAi and VR were independent predictors of TSAS in LG-SAS patients. The true severity might be predictable using the combination of resting parameters.

New-Generation Transcatheter Aortic Valves in Patients With Small Aortic Annuli　- Comparison of Balloon- and Self-Expandable Valves in Asian Patients.

BACKGROUND: Asian patients have smaller aortic annuli. Although 20-mm balloon-expandable (BE) transcatheter heart valves (THV) are manufactured for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in these cases, the supra-annular design of self-expandable (SE) THV is considered more suitable; however, real-world comparative data are scarce.Methods and Results:Consecutive TAVI cases (n=330) in a single Japanese center were reviewed. Based on the cutoff for the new-generation 20-/23-mm BE-THV, a small aortic annulus was defined as <330 mm2. A considerable number of patients had small annuli: 49/302 (16%). Of these, 33 BE-THV and 13 SE-THV using new-generation valves were compared. Although the SE-THV group had smaller annulus area (median 297 (interquartile range, 280-313) vs. 309 (303-323) mm2(P=0.022)), it had more favorable post-procedural parameters; for SE-THV and BE-THV, respectively, effective orifice area (EOA), 1.5 (1.3-1.6) vs. 1.1 cm2(0.9-1.3) (P=0.002); mean pressure gradient, 7.6 (5.6-11.0) vs. 14.2 mmHg (11.2-18.8) (P=0.001); and peak velocity, 1.8 (1.6-2.4) vs. 2.7 m/s (2.3-3.1) (P=0.001). Although new left bundle branch block was higher with SE-THV (24% and 62%, P=0.02), patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) ≥ moderate (indexed EOA <0.85 cm2/m2) was significantly less with SE-THV than with BE-THV (8% vs. 55%; P=0.04). Hemodynamic findings were consistent up to 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Small annuli are often seen in Asian patients, for whom SE-THV implantation results in favorable hemodynamics with less PPM.

Effect of Immunosuppressive Therapy on Clinical Outcomes for Patients With Aortic Stenosis Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an established treatment for symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Sometimes patients with severe AS taking immunosuppressants are encountered. The effect of immunosuppressive therapy on clinical outcomes in patients with AS following TAVI were investigated.Methods and Results:In total, 282 consecutive patients with severe AS who underwent transfemoral TAVI from January 2016 to December 2018 at St. Marianna University School of Medicine were reviewed. They were divided into 2 groups: the immunosuppressants group (IM group) in which patients continually used immunosuppressive drugs (n=22) and the non-immunosuppressants group (non-IM group) (n=260). The composite endpoints of a major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) defined as non-lethal myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris, heart failure requiring hospitalization, stroke, and cardiovascular death were evaluated. There were no differences in the incidence of vascular access complications (32% vs. 20%, P=0.143) and the rate of procedure success (100% vs. 93%, P=0.377) between the IM and non-IM groups. During the median follow-up period of 567 (16-1,312) days after the TAVI procedure, there were no significant differences between the IM and non-IM groups in the incidence of infectious complications (14% vs. 9%, P=0.442) or MACCE (18% vs. 20%, respectively; P=0.845). CONCLUSIONS: The use of IM after TAVI is not associated with increased vascular access complications or mid-term MACCE in patients with severe AS treated with TAVI.

Clinical Impact of New-Onset Left Bundle-Branch Block After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in the Japanese Population　- A Single High-Volume Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Although left bundle-branch block (LBBB) is a known conduction disorder that occurs after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), its clinical impact in the Japanese population remains unclear.Methods and Results:Of the 298 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI from January 2016 to December 2018 in a high-volume center in Japan, 68 with prior or periprocedural permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI), pre-existing LBBB, death during hospitalization, aborted procedure, or incomplete data were excluded. Among the final cohort of 230 patients, new-onset LBBB occurred in 90 (39%) after TAVI and persisted at 1-month follow up in 29 patients (13%; persistent new-onset LBBB, PN-LBBB). On multivariable analysis, self-expandable valve (SEV) use was found to be the only predictor of PN-LBBB (odds ratio: 4.39, 95% confidence interval: 1.69-11.41, P=0.002). There were no differences between patients with and without PN-LBBB in terms of overall mortality (18.8% vs. 26.0%, log-rank P=0.90) or need for late PPI (4.0% vs. 3.5%, log-rank P=0.74), yet there was an increased re-admission rate for heart failure (HF) in the PN-LBBB group (15.6% vs. 8.0%, log-rank P=0.046) at a median follow up of 431 (interquartile range, 271-733) days. CONCLUSIONS: PN-LBBB following TAVI was not associated with mortality or late PPI, but with a higher incidence of HF-related re-hospitalization at the mid-term follow up.

Combined disease with pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary venous hypertension revealed after treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in a case with primary Sjögren syndrome.

A 49-year-old woman with primary Sjögren syndrome initially developed pulmonary venous hypertension (PVH) due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Endomyocardial biopsy specimens showed mild myocardial fibrosis. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was revealed after the treatment with diuretics. During the treatment for PAH using upfront combination with pulmonary vasodilators and immunosuppressants, the patient developed combined disease with PAH and PVH. A careful hemodynamic assessment is necessary in such cases.

Angioscopic and optical coherence tomographic evaluation of neointimal coverage: 9 months after expandable polyterafluoroethylene covered stent implantation.

An expandable polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) covered stent is generally employed to seal coronary artery perforation. The frequency of ePTFE covered stent use is relatively low; thus, only a handful of studies have reported neointimal coverage and endothelialization inside the deployed ePTFE and clinical time course after ePTFE implantation. This case report presents a 78-year-old man treated with an ePTFE covered stent when he suffered from coronary artery perforation after the implantation of two everolimus eluting stents in the left anterior descending artery. Follow-up coronary angiography 9 months after ePTFE covered stent implantation depicted favorable stent patency. Optical coherence tomography showed thin and uneven stent strut coverage at the culprit. Angioscopy also depicted partial white-coated coverage and stent strut exposure. The outcome of this case suggested that long-term dual antiplatelet therapy should be prescribed for preventing thrombosis after ePTFE covered stent implantation.

Influence of pulmonary vascular reserve on exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) is considered as an early preclinical functional phase of resting PH in systemic sclerosis (SSc). In this study, we investigated the prevalence of exercise-induced PH in patients with SSc and evaluated the influence of pulmonary vascular reserve on exercise-induced PH. METHODS: This prospective study included 568 SSc patients. The patients with interstitial lung disease and those with left ventricular dysfunction were excluded (n = 50); finally, 518 patients underwent simple exercise echocardiography using a Master's two-step. Systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP), the ratio of early diastolic transmitral flow velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e') and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) were measured before and after exercise. ΔPVR (the difference between rest and post) was used for the assessment of pulmonary vascular reserve. All patients were stratified into the no exercise-induced PH (SPAP <50 mmHg) or exercise-induced PH (SPAP ≥50 mmHg, n = 133) group. RESULTS: Of the study patients, 27% patients were identified as having exercise-induced PH. ΔPVR was higher in the exercise-induced PH than no exercise-induced PH group (0.2 ± 0.3 vs. 0.4 ± 0.4WU, P < 0.0001). A weak correlation was found between postexercise SPAP and postexercise E/e' (r = 0.31, P < 0.0001), whereas a strong correlation was found between postexercise SPAP and postexercise PVR (r = 0.62, P < 0.0001). The analyzed data demonstrated that ΔPVR was independently associated with exercise-induced PH (odds ratio, 3.435; 95% CI, 1.013-11.650, P = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that exercise-induced PH was common in patients with SSc. Exercise-induced PH might be closely associated with the factors affecting reduced pulmonary vascular reserve in patients with SSc.

Severity of myocardial fatty acid dysmetabolism induced by coronary spasm does not differ with Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade during intracoronary acetylcholine provocation tests.

Whether additional intracoronary acetylcholine (ACH) injections are required for severe coronary spasm without limited coronary flow in the ACH provocation test remains unclear. We used (123)I-ß-methyl-iodophenyl pentadecanoic acid ((123)I-BMIPP) to identify myocardial ischemic memory to compare the severity of myocardial fatty acid dysmetabolism among Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade flow.Thirteen hypertensive volunteers (mean age, 69.5 years) and 37 patients with VSA (mean age, 62.8 years) were enrolled. The patients with VSA were stratified according to TIMI flow grades of 3 (90% luminal narrowing; n = 12) or TIMI 0-2 (≥ 99% or total occlusion; n = 25) during ACH provocation tests. Two weeks after cardiac catheterization, (123)I-BMIPP myocardial scintigraphic images were obtained at 15 minutes (early) and at 4 hours (delayed) after tracer injection. The heart-to-mediastinum (H/M) ratio and washout rates (WR) were calculated from planar images.The TIMI 3 and TIMI 0-2 groups had significantly lower early and delayed H/M ratios than controls but the difference did not reach significance between the two groups (Early: 2.7 ± 0.5 versus 2.3 ± 0.4 and 2.2 ± 0.3, P = 0.024; Delayed: 2.4 ± 0.4 versus 1.8 ± 0.3 and 1.8 ± 0.3, P = 0.001). The washout rate was greater for TIMI 0-2 than the controls.The severity of myocardial fatty acid dysmetabolism did not differ between TIMI 3 and TIMI 0-2 coronary spasms. Additional ACH might not be required considering safety and the severity of coronary spams with TIMI 3 grade flow.

Prognostic impact of transcatheter mitral valve repair in patients with exercise-induced secondary mitral regurgitation.

AIMS: Although exercise-induced secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) is known to have a poor prognosis, the therapeutic strategy towards this condition remains to be investigated. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) using the MitraClip in patients with exercise-induced secondary MR. METHODS AND RESULTS: Of the 200 consecutive patients with secondary MR who underwent exercise stress echocardiography, 46 (23%) that presented with exercise-induced secondary MR [i.e. increase in effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) of ≥ 0.13 cm2] were enrolled in the present investigation. The composite endpoints of all-cause mortality and hospitalization for heart failure were evaluated. Of the 46 patients included in the current cohort, 19 (41%) underwent TMVr and 27 (59%) were medically managed (control group). Although the TMVr group tended to present with a greater EROA at rest (0.26 ± 0.10 vs. 0.20 ± 0.08 cm2, P = 0.047), there were no differences in the EROA changes during exercise between the two groups (0.18 ± 0.10 vs. 0.18 ± 0.04 cm2, P = 0.940). While the TMVr group reported a higher event-free survival rate after the 13-month follow-up period (log-rank P = 0.017), the Cox proportional-hazard analysis suggested the TMVr to be associated with clinical outcomes (hazard ratio: 0.419, P = 0.044). CONCLUSION: As opposed to the medical management, TMVr treatment was associated with a lower risk of composite endpoints in patients with exercise-induced secondary MR. Exercise stress echocardiography is considered to have played an important role in decision-making for secondary MR.

Impact of Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch on Hemodynamics During Exercise in Patients With Aortic Stenosis After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation With a Balloon-Expandable Valve.

BACKGROUND: There is no evidence of hemodynamic performance during exercise in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). This study aimed to investigate the changes in kinematic hemodynamics during exercise and determine the impact of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) on the hemodynamics of transcatheter heart valves using exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) in AS patients after TAVI. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study enrolled 77 consecutive patients (mean age 82 ± 5 years, 50.6% male) who underwent ESE 3-6 months after TAVI with a balloon-expandable valve. The effective orifice area index at rest was significantly correlated with the mean pressure gradient (PG) during exercise (p <0.001). The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of PPM (PPM and non-PPM groups). During exercise, the patients with PPM had a higher left ventricular ejection fraction (74.6 ± 6.1% vs. 69.7 ± 9.6%, p = 0.048), a lower stroke volume index (47.2 ± 14.0 ml/m2 vs. 55.6 ± 14.5 ml/m2, p = 0.037), a significantly higher mean transvalvular PG (21.9 ± 9.1 mmHg vs. 12.2 ± 4.9 mmHg, p = 0.01) and an increased mean PG from rest to exercise (5.7 ± 3.5 mmHg vs. 2.3 ± 2.8 mmHg, p <0.001) compared with patients without PPM. Patients with PPM had a higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure (SPAP) during exercise (57.3 ± 13.8 mmHg vs. 49.7 ± 10.9 mmHg, p = 0.021) and a higher incidence of exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension (43.8 vs. 15.0%, p = 0.037) than patients without PPM. PPM was strongly associated with exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension (hazard ratio: 3.570, p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: AS patients with PPM after TAVI showed a disproportionate increase in the transvalvular PG and SPAP during exercise, and PPM was associated with exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension.

Angioscopic Evaluation of Atrial Septal Defect Closure Device Neo-Endothelialization.

Background Current guidelines recommend at least 6 months of antithrombotic therapy and antibiotic prophylaxis after septal-occluding device deployment in transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect. It has been estimated that it takes ≈6 months for complete neo-endothelialization; however, neo-endothelialization has not previously been assessed in vivo in humans. Methods and Results The neointimal coverage of septal occluder devices was evaluated 6 months after implantation in 15 patients by angioscopy from the right atrium. Each occluder surface was divided into 9 areas; the levels of endothelialization in each area were semiquantitatively assessed by 4-point grades. Device neo-endothelialization was sufficient in two thirds of patients, but insufficient in one third. In the comparison between patients with sufficiently endothelialized devices of average grade score ≥2 (good endothelialization group, n=10) and those with poorly endothelialized devices of average grade score <2 (poor endothelialization group, n=5), those in the poor endothelialization group had larger devices deployed (27.0 mm [25.0-31.5 mm] versus 17.0 mm [15.6-22.5 mm], respectively) and progressive right heart dilatation. The endothelialization was poorer around the central areas. Moreover, the prevalence of thrombus formation on the devices was higher in the poorly endothelialized areas than in the sufficiently endothelialized areas (Grade 0, 94.1%; Grade 1, 63.2%; Grade 2, 0%; Grade 3, 1.6%). Conclusions Neo-endothelialization on the closure devices varied 6 months after implantation. Notably, poor endothelialization and thrombus attachment were observed around the central areas and on the larger devices.

Influence of coronary artery disease and percutaneous coronary intervention on mid-term outcomes in patients with aortic valve stenosis treated with transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

BACKGROUND: A high frequency of coronary artery disease (CAD) is reported in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (AS) who undergo transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). However, the optimal management of CAD in these patients remains unknown. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesis that AS patients with TAVI complicated by CAD have poor prognosis. His study evaluates the prognoses of patients with CAD and severe AS after TAVI. METHODS: We divided 186 patients with severe AS undergoing TAVI into three groups: those with CAD involving the left main coronary (LM) or proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD) lesion (the CAD[LADp] group), those with CAD not involving the LM or a LAD proximal lesion (the CAD[non-LADp] group), and those without CAD (Non-CAD group). Clinical outcomes were compared among the three groups. RESULTS: The CAD[LADp] group showed a higher incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) and all-cause mortality than the other two groups (log-rank p = .001 and p = .008, respectively). Even after adjustment for STS score and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) before TAVI, CAD[LADp] remained associated with MACCE and all-cause mortality. However, PCI for an LM or LAD proximal lesion pre-TAVI did not reduce the risk of these outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: CAD with an LM or LAD proximal lesion is a strong independent predictor of mid-term MACCEs and all-cause mortality in patients with severe AS treated with TAVI. PCI before TAVI did not influence the outcomes.

Value of Transvalvular Flow Rate during Exercise in Asymptomatic Patients with Aortic Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: The optimal management of asymptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) remains controversial. Although exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) has been applied to nonischemic heart disease, the evidence of the prognostic value for asymptomatic AS has been limited. This study aimed to investigate the value of ESE in patients with asymptomatic AS. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included consecutive asymptomatic patients with at least moderate AS (mean pressure gradient ≥ 20 mm Hg or aortic valve area < 1.5 cm2) and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (≥50%) who underwent ESE. Of these, 10 patients who were referred for aortic valve replacement without symptoms were excluded. A final 99 conservatively managed patients (73 ± 13 years; 54% male) were enrolled in this study. All patients were followed for AS-related events. RESULTS: During the mean follow-up period of 14 ± 11 months, 23 patients underwent from AS-related events. Although no differences were found between the patients with and without adverse events in terms of mean pressure gradient during exercise, the transvalvular flow rate during exercise (Ex-FR) was lower in the patients who experienced adverse events (236 ± 55 vs 274 ± 64 mL/sec, P = .01). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed a decrease in Ex-FR (<270 mL/sec) independently associated with adverse events in patients with asymptomatic AS (hazard ratio = 3.53, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: The result of the present study suggests that Ex-FR measured by ESE could play a crucial role in the risk stratification of patients with asymptomatic AS.

Comparison in Clinical Outcomes Between Leadless and Conventional Transvenous Pacemaker Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

OBJECTIVES: Atrioventricular block is a common complication of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Although conventional transvenous dual-chamber (DDD) pacemaker (PM) is ideal for atrioventricular block, leadless PM, which is less invasive, may be suitable for frail TAVI patients. Little is known about clinical outcomes of this newer device following TAVI. METHODS: A total of 330 consecutive patients undergoing TAVI were reviewed. Of these, PM cases without atrial fibrillation were studied. Indication for leadless PM was based on heart team discussion. RESULTS: PM implantations were performed in 30 patients (9.1%), and 24 patients (7.3%) had no atrial fibrillation. These 24 patients had 14 DDD-PMs and 10 leadless PMs, and formed the two study groups. Baseline characteristics were similar except for ejection fraction: median ages were 83.0 years (IQR, 81.0-87.0 years) vs 86.5 years (IQR, 83.5-90.3) (P=.18); 11 (78.6%) vs 8 (80%) were women (P=.67); Society of Thoracic Surgeons scores were 5.1% (IQR, 3.8%-5.9%) vs 5.3% (IQR, 3.4%-8.5%) (P=.82); and ejection fractions were 68.0% (IQR, 66.0%-70.5%) vs 59.0% (IQR, 52.8%-69.3%) (P=.049), for the DDD-PM and leadless PM groups, respectively. There was 1 case of atrial lead dislodgment in the DDD-PM group; otherwise, no complications related to the implantation procedure were found. The leadless PM group showed numerically shorter hospital stay: 12.5 days (range, 9.0-17.8 day) in the DDD-PM group vs 10.5 days (range, 7.8-15.3 days) in the leadless PM group (P=.44). Six-month follow-up revealed no significant differences in incidence of heart failure rehospitalizations or deaths: 2 (14.3%) in the DDD-PM group vs 2 (25%) in the leadless PM group (P=.47); and 2 (14.3%) in the DDD-PM group vs 0 (0%) in the leadless PM group (P=.39), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with leadless PM following TAVI may have shorter hospital stays, and clinical outcomes can be comparable with DDD-PMs. Leadless PMs may therefore be a reasonable option for frail TAVI patients.

Calcified Nodule Protruding Into the Lumen Through Stent Struts: An In Vivo OCT Analysis.

We observed a calcified nodule (CN) protruding into the coronary lumen through the stent struts of an in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesion in detail using optical coherent tomography (OCT). The patient was a 56-year-old Japanese male on regular hemodialysis for his end-stage renal disease who had multiple coronary risk factors. He previously underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the middle left anterior descending artery and a drug-eluting stent was implanted. OCT showed a CN in the culprit lesion. He underwent coronary angiography 9 months later, and an ISR lesion was observed. Re-PCI was done, and a drug-coated balloon was used. OCT showed a CN protruding into the coronary lumen through the stent struts in the ISR lesion. Although this phenomenon was previously reported in a pathological study, the observation of a CN protruding through stent struts by in vivo OCT has been rarely demonstrated previously. The present study provides support for the previous pathological report, and demonstrates a useful application of OCT imaging that can help in the treatment of ISR lesions.