Stent implantation versus balloon angioplasty in chronic coronary occlusions: results from the GISSOC trial. Gruppo Italiano di Studio sullo Stent nelle Occlusioni Coronariche.

OBJECTIVES: In this multicenter, randomized trial we evaluated whether stent implantation after successful recanalization of a chronic coronary occlusion reduced the incidence of restenosis. BACKGROUND: Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in chronic total occlusions is associated with a higher rate of angiographic restenosis and reocclusion than PTCA in subtotal stenoses. Preliminary reports have suggested a decreased restenosis rate after stent implantation in coronary total occlusions. METHODS: We randomly assigned 110 patients with recanalized total occlusion to Palmaz-Schatz stent implantation, followed by 1 month of anticoagulant therapy versus no other treatment. The primary end point was the minimal lumen diameter (MLD) of the treated segment at follow-up, as determined by quantitative angiography at a core laboratory. RESULTS: Repeat coronary angiography was performed 9 months after the procedure in 88% of patients. The MLD (mean +/- SD) at follow-up was 1.74 +/- 0.88 mm in patients assigned to stent implantation and 0.85 +/- .75 mm in patients assigned to PTCA (p < 0.001). Stent implantation was associated with a lower incidence of restenosis (defined as diameter stenosis > or =50% at follow-up) (32% vs. 68%, p < 0.001) and reocclusion (8% vs. 34%, p = 0.003) than balloon PTCA. Likewise, stent-treated patients had less recurrent ischemia (14% vs. 46%, p = 0.002) and target lesion revascularization (5.3% vs. 22%, p = 0.038), but experienced a longer hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: Palmaz-Schatz stent implantation after successful balloon PTCA of chronic total occlusions improves the midterm angiographic and clinical outcome and could be the preferred treatment option in selected patients with occluded vessels.

Age-dependence of risk factors for carotid stenosis: an observational study among candidates for coronary arteriography.

In order to identify subjects at higher risk for carotid stenosis and to provide insights into mechanisms of disease development at different age-intervals, a color duplex ultrasound of extracranial arteries was performed in 624 consecutive patients (mean age 62.9+/-10.7, 483 males) undergoing coronary angiography. Significant carotid atherosclerosis (> or =50% stenosis) was documented in 87 patients (14%): the disease was moderate (50/69% stenosis) in 51 patients (8%), severe (> or =70% stenosis) in 36 patients (6%). Age (P<0.0001), smoking (P<0.0001), diabetes (P=0.0002), renal dysfunction (P=0.0119) and hypertension (P=0.0202) were independent predictors of significant carotid atherosclerosis; age (P=0.0001), smoking (P=0.0009) and diabetes (P=0.0201) were independent predictors of severe disease. Among 262 candidates for cardiac surgery, significant carotid artery disease was identified in 57 cases (2.63 Relative Risk, 95% Confidence Intervals: 1.32/5.24). Correlation and regression tree analysis demonstrated that diabetes was associated with greater severity of carotid stenosis in younger patients and hypertension in older ones. In conclusion age is the primary determinant of carotid artery disease; diabetes and smoking accelerate progression of atherosclerosis in younger patients, hypertension and smoking in older ones. Among patients undergoing coronary angiography, carotid ultrasonography should be recommended in high risk subgroups of patients.

Early deterioration after excimer laser-assisted coronary angioplasty.

Coronary lumen changes after excimer laser coronary angioplasty, after adjunct percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and at 24 hours after intervention were assessed using quantitative coronary angiography. Lesions treated with this combined technique showed significant early deterioration within 24 hours.

Systematic clinical and angiographic follow-up of patients undergoing minimally invasive coronary artery bypass.

OBJECTIVE: We herein analyze the results of the systematic clinical and angiographic control performed in a series of 77 consecutive patients undergoing minimally invasive coronary artery bypass. METHODS AND RESULTS: From January 1995 to June 1997, 77 patients underwent minimally invasive coronary artery bypass at our institution. There was one inhospital death, one noncardiac late death, and five patients had to be reoperated for graft malfunction. A total of 76 patients underwent postoperative angiographic follow-up. In 66 cases (86.8%) the thoracic artery graft, the target vessel, and the anastomosis were patent and functioning normally. In one case the graft was occluded. In the remaining nine cases the thoracic artery graft was patent but with major anomalies of either the anastomosis, the target vessel, or the course of the thoracic artery. Patients operated using especially designed instruments had angiographic results clearly superior to those of patients operated using conventional instrumentation (perfect patency rate 100% vs 81.8%). At a mean follow-up of 18 months, 98.5% of the surviving patients are asymptomatic with negative myocardial scintigraphy. CONCLUSIONS: The perfect patency rate of minimally invasive revascularization performed without the use of dedicated instruments is unacceptably low. The use of specific devices is likely to result in a substantial improvement in the angiographic results.

Lesions of the target vessel during minimally invasive myocardial revascularization.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting has recently been introduced into cardiac surgery. In this report we discuss the incidence of surgically induced distal target vessel stenosis in patients who undergo the minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting procedure, which represents a major drawback of the procedure in our experience. METHODS: Doppler evaluation of mammary artery flow was performed postoperatively in all 55 patients who underwent minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting at our institution. Angiography was performed in the first 35 consecutive patients for control purposes and in 2 patients who complained of angina recurrence. RESULTS: In 32 of the first 35 consecutive patients, the anastomosis was found to be functioning normally and the distal left anterior descending artery was normal; in the remaining 3 patients we found mammary artery occlusion, anastomotic stenosis, and stenosis of the anastomosis and the distal left anterior descending artery in 1 patient each. A distal left anterior descending artery stenosis was found in the only 2 patients who underwent late angiography. CONCLUSIONS: Surgically induced distal target vessel stenosis represents a major drawback of minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting in our experience. Further improvement in the means of achieving coronary artery occlusion, as well as in anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy, is mandatory before minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting can be confidently accepted into clinical practice.

Multiple arterial conduits without cardiopulmonary bypass: early angiographic results.

BACKGROUND: Lack of angiographic results and technical difficulty in grafting the vessels in the lateral and posterior walls have reduced interest in myocardial revascularization without cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We describe our experience to demonstrate the feasibility of coronary surgical intervention without CPB in multivessel disease. METHODS: From May 21, 1997, through February 1998, 227 patients underwent revascularization with two or more arterial conduits as the first operation: 122 without CPB (group A) and 105 with CPB (group B). Group A included a greater number of high-risk patients. RESULTS: Mean +/- SD anastomoses per patient were 2.5 +/- 0.6 in group A and 2.8 +/- 0.8 in group B (p = NS). No patient died in group A, whereas 1 patient (0.9%) died in group B. The postoperative complication rate was low in both groups, but intensive care unit and in-hospital stays were shorter in group A than in group B (14.1 +/- 7.1 versus 27.3 +/- 36 hours, p < 0.001, and 4.1 +/- 1.6 versus 5.4 +/- 2.4 days, p < 0.001, respectively [group A versus group B]). Sixty-seven patients in Group A (54.9%) underwent postoperative angiography 33 +/- 35 days after operation. The patency rate was 98.9% (98.2% for the marginal branches). CONCLUSIONS: Arterial revascularization of the coronary arteries without CPB is feasible, with results similar to those obtained with CPB. The two techniques, in our opinion, are complementary, not antagonistic.

Adjustment of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure for wave delay increases the accuracy of mitral valve area measurement.

Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, currently accepted as an approximation of left atrial pressure, leads to underestimation of mitral valve area calculated with the Gorlin formula. Wave delay has been pointed out as a major source of the underestimation. The aim of this study was to increase the accuracy of pulmonary artery wedge pressure-based measurements through a correction for time delay. Electrocardiogram, pulmonary capillary wedge, left atrial and left ventricular pressures were recorded simultaneously at high paper speed in 18 patients with mitral stenosis who underwent transseptal left atrial catheterization prior to mitral valvulotomy. Heart rate and wedge pressure wave delay were closely correlated (r = 0.78, p < 0.001). Linear regression equation (y = 1.1x + 8) was then applied in order to adjust the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure for time delay in every complex. Relative to mitral area measured with left atrial pressure, areas calculated using wedge pressure with and without correction were, respectively, 5 +/- 6% and 16 +/- 7% (p < 0.001) lower. Both methods showed a close correlation (r > 0.95) with measurements obtained using left atrial pressure; plotting the standard deviation against the mean, the correction of capillary wedge pressure significantly (p < 0.001) increased the accuracy of area measurement. In conclusion, pulmonary wedge pressure, properly obtained and adjusted for time delay, allows a more reliable measurement of the mitral area.

Surgical treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy with conventional techniques.

OBJECTIVE: We review our surgical experience using different conventional surgical techniques in the surgical treatment of the dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP) in non-transplant eligible patients. METHODS: In this series we included patients who fit the following criteria: ejection fraction < 35%; end diastolic volume > or = 110 ml/m2; enlargement of the base of the heart (maximal mitral diameter > or = 22 mm/m2) with functional mitral regurgitation; mitral surgery to be performed in every case. Moreover, two groups were considered. (A) Normal or moderately impaired right ventricular function; PAP < 45 mmHg; elective or semielective surgery. (B) Severely impaired right ventricular function; PAP > or = 45 mmHg; severe organ failure; dependency on IABP and/or inotropes; need of ICU stay. From January 1990 to September 1998, 66 patients underwent isolated mitral valve surgery (n = 30); in the remaining 36 the Batista operation (n = 21) or exclusion of akinetic areas (n = 15) were associated. The etiology was ischemic in 42, idiopathic in 23 and post-valvular in one. RESULTS: When isolated mitral valve surgery was performed, early mortality in group A (n = 22) was 0, in group B (n = 8) 50%. Overall 5-year survival was 70.0 +/- 8.4. in group A 81.8 +/- 8.2, and in group B 37.5 +/- 17.1. When the Batista operation was performed, early mortality in group A (n = 13) was 23.1%, in group B (n = 8) 75%. Overall 2-year survival was 42.9 +/- 10.8 in group A 61.5 +/- 13.5 and in group B 25.0 +/- 15.3. When akinetic areas were excluded, early mortality in group A (n = 11) was 18.2% and in group B (n = 4) 100%. Overall 1-year survival was 53.3 +/- 12.9, in group A 72.7 +/- 13.4. CONCLUSION: Group A patients have better results in every cohort of patients considered. Even if patients selection seems to be the most important variable for early mortality and late survival, isolated mitral valve surgery, when feasible, provides the best early and late results.

Percutaneous interventions on arterial conduits.

Because of the extensive use of arterial conduits for coronary surgery and the increased risk of repeat surgery in cases of graft failure, there is a growing interest in percutaneous interventions (PI) for patients with conduit dysfunction. PI on arterial conduits is a challenge for the interventional cardiologist, due to anatomic and functional characteristics of the graft. There are no large-scale multicenter or randomized studies focusing on PI of arterial conduits. Few single-center experiences are available, and all report short-term encouraging results and < 20% restenosis rates. Procedural failures are mainly due to graft tortuosity or length. Spasm is not rarely reported in muscular conduits. Stents are effective for the treatment of ostial disease and in bail-out cases, but should be cautiously used in anastomotic lesions. In patients with patent internal mammary artery, large pectoralis branches are sometimes considered responsible for steal phenomena, but flow diversion is usually trivial and embolization should be accomplished only after careful functional evaluations. PI can safely be performed on arterial grafts, with careful planning and knowledge of conduit pathophysiology.

[Multi-instrumental revascularization adjusted to coronary lesions (MIRACLE). Current role of new technologies]. / Approche multi-instrumentale coronaire adaptée aux lésions (AMICALE). Place actuelle des nouvelles techniques.

Several new techniques have been developed to get round the limitations of conventional coronary angioplasty. Most entail ablation of the atheromatous plaques by mechanical (atherectomy) or photochemical (laser excimer) means, whilst others (stents) shore up the vascular walls. Their use with conventional coronary balloon angioplasty optimises the results of treatment of complex lesions. This report describes the authors' experience in 1,266 patients (1,668 lesions) treated between January 1992 to December 1993. The new techniques were used in 33% of patients and 30% of lesions (rotational) atherectomy: 20%; stents: 5%; directional atherectomy: 3%; laser excimer: 2%) because of the defavourable angiographic characteristics of the lesions (eccentricity, calcification, bifurcation, length, chronic total occlusion, thrombosis, ostial stenosis, ulceration, saphenous vein graft). The primary success rate was 91% in the whole group (94 to 97% for the patients treated by the new techniques). The global major complication rate was 1.7%. The multi-instrumental revascularization adjusted to the coronary lesions (MIRACLE) gives a high primary success rate in patients with coronary lesions difficult to treat by conventional angioplasty. Randomised trials will be necessary to determine the precise indications of each technique with respect to the morphological characteristics of each lesion.

Does optical coherence tomography identify arterial healing after stenting? An in vivo comparison with histology, in a rabbit carotid model.

OBJECTIVE: To verify whether optical coherence tomography (OCT) can accurately monitor the occurrence of arterial healing after stenting. SETTING: Delayed stent endothelialisation may predispose to stent thrombosis. OCT is a high-resolution intravascular imaging technique that accurately identifies stent struts and arterial tissues. DESIGN AND INTERVENTIONS: Eight New Zealand white rabbits underwent the implantation of single bare metal stents (diameter 2-2.5 mm, length 8-13 mm) in the right common carotid artery through the external carotid artery. After a median of 11 days (range 2-28), the stented arteries were visualised by OCT, with images acquired at a pull-back speed of 0.5 mm/sec. The rabbits were then euthanised, vessels were formalin-fixed and finally processed for histopathology. RESULTS: We analysed 32 cross-sections from eight stented carotid arteries, for a total of 384 stent struts. OCT detected all of the stent struts in 30 of 32 cross-sections (93.7%), and correctly identified the presence/absence of tissue for every strut. Histological and OCT measurements of mean neointima thickness (0.135 (SD 0.079) mm and 0.145 (SD 0.085) mm, respectively, p = NS) were similar and closely related (r = 0.85, p<0.001). Neointima area progressively increased with longer time intervals from stent deployment to sacrifice; histological and OCT measurements were similar for each time interval. The intra-observer and interobserver reproducibility of OCT neointima measurements were excellent (R2 = 0.90 and 0.88, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: OCT is a promising means for monitoring stent strut coverage and vessel wall healing in vivo, the relevance of which will become even more significant with the increasing use of drug-eluting stents.

Right coronary artery subselective angiography with a 5-French catheter mimicking a coronary arteriovenous fistula.

We report the case of a 58-year-old woman who underwent outpatient coronary angiography with 5F catheters for atypical chest pain. Superselective angiography of a right superior septal artery mimicked a coronary arteriovenous fistula. Appropriate placement of the catheter in the ostium of the right coronary artery excluded the suspected anomaly.

[Short-term efficacy of high speed rotational atherectomy with and balloon angioplasty in the treatment of lesions located at the ostium of a coronary branch]. / Efficacia a breve termine dell'associazione di aterotomia rotativa ad alta velocità ed angioplastica con palloncino nel trattamento delle lesioni situate sull'ostio di un ramo coronarico.

In the treatment of branch-ostial lesions (BOL) balloon angioplasty (PTCA) is associated with suboptimal results and a higher complication rate. Rotational atherectomy (RA) before PTCA might improve results. This approach was used in 37 patients (mean age 62 +/- 10 years; 27 men, 10 women) with 42 BOL. Mean burr size was 1.7 +/- 0.3 mm; burr-artery ratio was 0.75 +/- 0.10. Procedural success was achieved in 39 (93%) BOL; the only major complication was a periprocedural myocardial infarction (CPKMB=58IU/ml). In 2 cases the stenosis was not crossed by the guidewire. Diameter stenosis (DS) decreased from 72 +/- 14% before RA to 30 +/- 12% after RA (p < 0.001) and 15 +/- 10% after PTCA (p < 0.001). All patients with a successful procedure underwent repeat angiography 24 hours DS was 18 +/- 15 (NS versus after PTCA); no lesion had DS > or = 50%. RA with adjunctive PTCA is a safe and effective treatment of BOL, with short-term stable results.

Role of the different percutaneous revascularization techniques in single and multivessel coronary artery disease.

Over the past 16 years coronary angioplasty has become an established therapy for coronary artery disease. Advances in technology and growing operator experience have improved initial success rates, lowered the complications associated with coronary angioplasty and expanded the indications of percutaneous revascularization to include large numbers of patients with complex lesions. The mechanisms of coronary angioplasty include plaque fracture, intimal atherosclerotic flaps, localized medial dissection and stretching of plaque-free segments. The problems and limitations of coronary angioplasty are: unfavourable lesion morphology which may preclude complete revascularization or increase the risk of major complications, "high-risk" patients requiring pharmacological or mechanical support, acute coronary occlusion, and restenosis, the 2 latter problems being related to the very mechanisms of coronary angioplasty. Recently, new interventional devices have been introduced: intracoronary stents, directional coronary atherectomy, rotational atherectomy, transluminal extraction atherectomy, excimer laser coronary angioplasty. A multidevice lesion-specific approach integrated with balloon angioplasty may optimize procedural results in a growing number of patients with complex coronary lesions. However, restenosis occurring within 6 months after successful angioplasty remains the "Achilles' heel" of coronary interventional procedures and erodes the potential advantages angioplasty holds over coronary bypass surgery. These 2 forms of myocardial revascularization are currently compared for the treatment of multivessel disease in randomized trials.

An uncommon false aneurysm of the left ventricle.

An 83-year-old woman with previous closed transventricular commissurotomy was admitted for congestive heart failure. Echocardiogram and angiography demonstrated a mitral restenosis and a large-mouthed false aneurysm of the left ventricle.

Rescue coronary angioplasty: a crotch for limping thrombolysis?

After failed thrombolysis, rescue coronary angioplasty is performed with the aim of restoring complete flow in the infarct-related artery. The clinical benefit of this strategy has been debated in few clinical trials during the early '90s, and high procedure-related risks, low success and early reocclusion rates seemed to outweigh the benefit of mechanical recanalization. The RESCUE trial and, more recently, data from the GUSTO angiographic substudy supported the hypothesis of a better outcome among patients aggressively managed after failed thrombolysis. Noninvasive identification of such patients must be accomplished monitoring electrocardiogram and biochemical markers of myocardial necrosis. Further improvements in the management of candidates to rescue coronary angioplasty can be obtained with a more liberal use of intra-aortic balloon pump among subjects admitted in cardiogenic shock; stents and platelet aggregation inhibitors could reduce early reocclusion, but randomized data are needed to test this hypothesis.

Predictors of short term clinical and angiographic outcome after coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction.

UNLABELLED: Coronary angioplasty is an effective method to achieve myocardial reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We reviewed our experience in 132 patients (pts) who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of a totally occluded infarct-related artery (IRA) within 24 h after the onset of symptoms (mean delay 10 +/- 7 h), in order to identify the predictors of primary success and of major complications. PTCA was successfully performed in 113 patients (86%). Failure without complications occurred in 12 patients (8.4%); untoward events (death and emergency CABG) occurred in seven patients (5.3%). Pts in the failure group were more likely to have cardiogenic shock (53 vs. 8.8%, P < .0005), longer time to reperfusion (15 +/- 6 vs. 9 +/- 6 h, P < .0005), lower ejection fraction (EF) (42 +/- 16 vs. 54 +/- 12%, P < .0005), multivessel disease (74 vs. 43%, P < .03), and a smaller IRA diameter (2.8 +/- 0.6 vs. 3.1 +/- 0.6 mm, P < .03). Sex, age, previous bypass surgery, previous thrombolytic treatment, IRA, and infarct location were similar in both groups. Absence of cardiogenic shock (P < .0001), decreasing time to reperfusion (P < .005) and increasing EF (P < .02) were independent predictors of successful PTCA. Presence of cardiogenic shock (P < .0001) and decreasing EF (< .05) were independent predictors of untoward events. Repeat angiography was performed 24 h after the procedure in the success group. Angiographic deterioration (stenosis > or = 50% and/or TIMI flow grade < or = 1) was present in 18 pts (16%), among whose 5 pts (4.4%) had re-occlusion of the IRA. Pts with early angiographic deterioration were more likely to have a lower IRA diameter (2.8 +/- 0.5 vs. 3.1 +/- 0.6 mm, P < .02). CONCLUSION: Emergency PTCA is an effective method for establishing reperfusion in AMI. Pts with high-risk baseline characteristics show the highest rate of untoward events, but are the most likely to benefit from aggressive reperfusion therapy.

[Preliminary experience in the treatment of complex stenosis in the aged (> or = 70 years) with high-speed rotational atherotomy followed by conventional PTCA]. / Esperienza preliminare nel trattamento delle stenosi complesse dell'anziano (> or = 70 anni) con aterotomia rotativa ad alta velocità seguita da PTCA convenzionale.

Rotational coronary atherectomy with adjunctive balloon angioplasty was performed in 36 patients older than 70 years. Previous myocardial infarction, coronary angioplasty and coronary artery bypass were present in 44%, 11% and 14%, respectively. Thirty-six percent and 33% of patients presented stable and unstable angina pectoris, respectively. Totally, 46 lesions were treated (1,3 lesion/patient). All lesions had complex morphology characteristics: eccentricity (63%), calcification (69%), angulation (44%), length > 10 mm (11%), undilatable rigid lesion with failed PTCA (11%), ostial disease (9%), ulceration (7%). In 39% was present a single-vessel disease, in 44% double-vessel disease and in 17% triple-vessel disease. Five patients received rotational atherectomy on two stenoses in the same vessel, 5 received a two vessels treatment. Procedure was successful in 94% of patients; 2 patients (6%) had major complication (1 urgent coronary artery bypass and 1 acute myocardial infarction) without any death. All patients with successful rotational atherectomy had repeated coronary angiography at 24 hours. No patient showed significant deterioration (stenosis > or = 50%) of the initial result at 24 hours. Rotational atherectomy can be performed in patients over 70 years with complex coronary lesions with a high success rate, low complications and persistence at 24 hours of initial gain. It should be considered as a primary therapeutical option in selected cases with complex coronary lesions in which conventional PTCA can be unsuccessful.