Endovascular repair of traumatic aortic injury: a novel arena in interventional cardiology.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of endovascular repair of traumatic aortic injuries performed by interventional cardiologists in collaboration with cardiothoracic surgeons. BACKGROUND: Traumatic aortic injury (TAI) represents a significant cause of mortality in trauma patients. Endovascular techniques have recently come into play for the management of TAI and are usually performed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of a thoracic or vascular surgeon and/or interventional radiology. With extensive expertise in catheter-based interventions, interventional cardiologists may have a pivotal role in this important procedure. METHODS: From January 2009 to July 2011, we reviewed the TAI endovascular repair outcomes performed by a team of interventional cardiologists in collaboration with cardiothoracic surgery at our institution. The charts of these patients were reviewed to collect desired data, which included preoperative, procedural, and follow-up details. RESULTS: Twenty patients were identified in our series. Most of these patients developed TAI from motor vehicle accidents. Technical success for endovascular repair of TAI was achieved in all patients. Two patients developed endoleak, of which one patient required subsequent open repair. Two patients expired in the hospital from coexistent injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Our series of endovascular repair for TAI performed by interventional cardiologists with the collaboration of cardiothoracic surgeons showed excellent outcomes. Our experience may give further insight in the collaborative role of interventional cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery for endovascular repair of TAI.

Influence of presenting electrocardiographic findings on the treatment and outcomes of patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

The influence of the presenting electrocardiographic (ECG) findings on the treatment and outcomes of patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) has not been studied in contemporary practice. We analyzed the clinical characteristics, in-hospital management, and in-hospital outcomes of patients with NSTEMI in the Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network Registry-Get With The Guidelines (ACTION Registry-GWTG) according to the presenting ECG findings. A total of 175,556 patients from 485 sites from January 2007 to September 2011 were stratified by the ECG findings on presentation: ST depression (n = 40,146, 22.9%), T-wave inversions (n = 24,627, 14%), transient ST-segment elevation (n = 5,050, 2.9%), and no ischemic changes (n = 105,733, 60.2%). Patients presenting with ST-segment depression were the oldest and had the greatest prevalence of major cardiac risk factors. Coronary angiography was performed most frequently in the transient ST-segment elevation group, followed by the T-wave inversion, ST-segment depression, and no ischemic changes groups. The angiogram revealed that patients with ST-segment depression had more left main, proximal left anterior descending, and 3-vessel coronary artery disease and underwent coronary artery bypass grafting most often. In contrast, patients with transient ST-segment elevation had 1-vessel CAD and underwent percutaneous coronary intervention the most. The unadjusted mortality was highest in the ST-segment depression group, followed by the no ischemic changes, transient ST-segment elevation, and T-wave inversion group. Adjusted mortality using the ACTION Registry-GWTG in-hospital mortality model with the no ischemic changes group as the reference showed that in-hospital mortality was similar in the transient ST-segment elevation (odds ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval 0.97 to 1.37; p = 0.10), higher in the ST-segment depression group (odds ratio 1.46, 95% confidence interval 1.37 to 1.54; p <0.0001), and lower in the T-wave inversion group (odds ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.83 to 0.99; p = 0.026). In conclusion, the clinical and angiographic characteristics and treatment and outcomes of patients with NSTEMI differed substantially according to the presenting ECG findings. Patients with ST-segment depression have a greater burden of co-morbidities and coronary atherosclerosis and have a greater risk of adjusted in-hospital mortality compared with the other groups. These findings highlight the importance of integrating the presenting ECG findings into the risk stratification algorithm for patients with NSTEMI.

Use of a novel adjunctive kissing-balloon technique with the Trellis device to successfully prevent embolization across juxtaposed kissing aortoiliac stents.

The Trellis thrombectomy system (Covidien) has been used successfully to perform isolated pharmacomechanical thrombectomy of both venous and arterial thrombi. The device is designed to provide localized treatment while preventing both systemic spread of the thrombolytic agent and also distal embolization. However, when this device is utilized to remove thrombi at bifurcation lesions, embolization into the contralateral vessel can potentially occur. We describe a novel and simple technique of adjunctive kissing balloon inflation while using the Trellis device for the management of an aortoiliac occlusion that occurred in one of two juxtaposed stents previously placed in the distal aorta into the bilateral iliac arteries. This technique prevented distal embolization into the contralateral iliac artery.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement: a potential option for the nonsurgical patient.

With improved life expectancy, the incidence of aortic stenosis is rising. However, up to one-third of patients who require lifesaving surgical aortic valve replacement are denied surgery due to a high operative mortality rate. Such patients can only be treated with medical therapy or percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty, neither of which has been shown to improve mortality. With advances in interventional cardiology, transcatheter methods have been developed for aortic valve replacement. Clinical trials are investigating these devices in patients with severe aortic stenosis that have been denied surgery. Preliminary results from these trials suggest that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is not only feasible, but an effective way to improve symptoms. In this review, we describe the current technology and display available outcome data. Though technical challenges and operator learning curve limit optimal use of the current technology, continued experience and advancements in technology may one day make TAVR a viable alternative to traditional surgical aortic valve replacement.

Evidence for using clopidogrel alone or in addition to aspirin in post coronary artery bypass surgery patients.

Clopidogrel is recommended with aspirin for patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) after non-ST elevation myocardial infarctions. Cardiothoracic surgeons widely use clopidogrel in addition to aspirin for post-CABG patients, including those with stable coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to systematically review the published research to determine whether clopidogrel use after CABG is based on good trial data. Studies reporting safety and/or efficacy data for clopidogrel use with or without aspirin after on- or off-pump CABG were included. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 11 were reported trials and 3 are ongoing trials. Subgroup retrospective analyses of previously reported large trials of patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes (n = 1) or patients with stable coronary artery disease (n = 3) did not show a clear clinical benefit of clopidogrel when given in addition to aspirin after CABG. In contrast, there was a trend toward increased major and minor bleeding after the use of clopidogrel plus aspirin. Two small prospective trials providing data on surrogate end points and 5 small trials involving off-pump CABG patients were not of good quality to draw meaningful conclusions. In conclusion, summarized data based on subgroup analyses, surrogate end points, and observational cohort studies fail to demonstrate a clear beneficial effect of clopidogrel alone or in combination with aspirin on clinical outcomes after CABG.