Clinical outcomes of double stent strategy for unprotected left main distal bifurcation lesions using current generation drug eluting stent comparing to early generation drug eluting stent; The Milan and New Tokyo (MITO) registry.

BACKGROUND: There are only little data available on the comparison of clinical outcomes between a early generation drug eluting stent (eDES) and a current generation drug eluting stent (cDES) for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with double stent strategy (DSS) for unprotected distal left main disease (ULMD). METHODS: Between April 2005 and December 2015, we recruited 452 consecutive ULMD patients treated with DSS (eDES, 236 patients; cDES, 216 patients). In this study, eDES included Cipher, Taxus, and Endeavor and cDES included Ultimaster, Resolute family, Xience family, Promus family, Synergy, and Nobori. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (TLF) defined as a composite of cardiac death, target lesion revascularization (TLR) and myocardial infarction (MI) during the median follow-up period of 1,809(IQR: 1,190-2,510) days. RESULTS: In entire population, the rate of overall TLR was significantly lower in cDES group than that in eDES group (adjusted HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.40-0.96, p = .032). The rate of TLR for the ostium of LCX was significantly lower in cDES group than that in eDES group (adjusted HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.39-0.99, p = .047). Cardiac mortality, the rate of TLR for LM-LAD, MI and definite/probable ST did not significantly differ between both groups. The results were preserved in the propensity adjusted population. CONCLUSIONS: cDES significantly improved the clinical outcomes in population treated with DSS mainly driven by the reduction of TLR for the ostium of LCX.

Trends and impact of intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography on percutaneous coronary intervention for myocardial infarction.

Background: Intravascular imaging with either intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or optical coherence tomography (OCT) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with improved outcomes, but these techniques have previously been underutilized in the real world. We aimed to examine the change in utilization of intravascular imaging-guided PCI over the past decade in the United States and assess the association between intravascular imaging and clinical outcomes following PCI for myocardial infarction (MI). Methods: We surveyed the National Inpatient Sample from 2008 to 2019 to calculate the number of PCIs for MI guided by IVUS or OCT. Temporal trends were analyzed using Cochran-Armitage trend test or simple linear regression for categorical or continuous outcomes, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare outcomes following PCI with and without intravascular imaging. Results: A total of 2,881,746 PCIs were performed for MI. The number of IVUS-guided PCIs increased by 309.9 % from 6,180 in 2008 to 25,330 in 2019 (P-trend < 0.001). The percentage of IVUS use in PCIs increased from 3.4 % in 2008 to 8.7 % in 2019 (P-trend < 0.001). The number of OCT-guided PCIs increased 548.4 % from 246 in 2011 to 1,595 in 2019 (P-trend < 0.001). The percentage of OCT guidance in all PCIs increased from 0.0 % in 2008 to 0.6 % in 2019 (P-trend < 0.001). Intravascular imaging-guided PCI was associated with lower odds of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio 0.66, 95 % confidence interval 0.60-0.72, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Although the number of intravascular imaging-guided PCIs have been increasing, adoption of intravascular imaging remains poor despite an association with lower mortality.

Embolized Hydrophilic Coating Polymers Found in Left Ventricular Assist Device Apical Core Specimen.

Left ventricular assist devices are increasingly used in patients with advanced heart failure. Gross and histologic evaluation of myocardial apical core specimens, extracted during device placement, can provide important insights. Herein, we describe a case of hydrophilic polymer embolization with associated foreign-body giant cell reaction discovered during apical core evaluation. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Intramural Hematoma During a Complex Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention.

We describe a patient who presented for elective percutaneous coronary intervention to treat a chronic total occlusion of the right coronary artery. An intramural hematoma resulted from the intervention and was discovered with intravenous ultrasound. The complication was successfully managed conservatively, and follow-up showed patent coronary arteries. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Did ethno-racial disparities in access to transcatheter aortic valve replacement change over time?

Objective: In this study we sought to evaluate whether disparate use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) among non-White patients has decreased over time, and if unequal access to TAVR is driven by unequal access to high-volume hospitals. Methods: From 2013 to 2017, we used the State Inpatient Database across 8 states (Ariz, Colo, Fla, Md, NC, NM, Nev, Wash) to identify 51,232 Medicare beneficiaries who underwent TAVR versus surgical aortic valve replacement. Hospitals were categorized as low- (<50 per year), medium- (50-100 per year), or high-volume (>100 per year) according to total valve procedures (TAVR + surgical aortic valve replacement). Multivariable logistic regression models with interactions were performed to determine the effect of race, time, and hospital volume on the utilization of TAVR. Results: Non-White patients were less likely to receive TAVR than White patients (odds ratio [OR], 0.77; 95% CI, 0.71-0.83). However, utilization of TAVR increased over time (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.73-1.80) for the total population, with non-White patients' TAVR use growing faster than for White patients (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.00-1.12), time × race interaction, P = .034. Further, an adjusted volume-stratified time trend analysis showed that utilization of TAVR at high volume hospitals increased faster for non-White patients versus White patients by 8.6% per year (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-1.16) whereas use at low- and medium-volume hospitals did not contribute to any decreasing utilization gap. Conclusions: This analysis shows initial low rates of TAVR utilization among non-White patients followed by accelerated use over time, relative to White patients. This narrowing gap was driven by increased TAVR utilization by non-White patients at high-volume hospitals.

Innovative Guide Extension Catheter Trapping Technique to Retrieve a Lost Stent From a Coronary Artery.

A stent that was being implanted in the left circumflex artery, to treat an iatrogenic dissection, became dislodged at the ostial left circumflex artery on a previously deployed stent implanted for the treatment of a distal left main bifurcation stenosis. We describe here a novel technique to retrieve the device safely. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Comparison of Contemporary Drug-Eluting Stents in Patients Undergoing Complex High-Risk Indicated Procedures.

Background: Limited data are available on the relative performances of diverse contemporary drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients undergoing complex high-risk indicated procedures (CHIP). Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of contemporary second-generation DES for CHIP patients in "real-world" settings. Methods: Of 28,843 patients enrolled in the IRIS-DES registry, a total of 6,645 patients with CHIP characteristics who received 5 different types of contemporary DES were finally included: 3,752 with cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents (CoCr-EES), 1,258 with Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents (Re-ZES), 864 with platinum-chromium EES (PtCr-EES), 437 with ultrathin strut biodegradable-polymer sirolimus-eluting stents (UT-SES), and 334 with bioresorbable polymer SES (BP-SES). The primary outcome was target-vessel failure (a composite of cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, and target-vessel revascularization) at 12 months. Results: At 12 months, the rate of target-vessel failure was highest in the CoCr-EES (7.1%) group; intermediate in the Re-ZES (5.0%), PtCr-EES (4.6%), and BP-SES (4.2%) groups; and lowest in the UT-SES (3.8%) group (overall long-rank P = 0.001). In multiple-treatment propensity-score analysis, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for target-vessel failure were significantly lower in the Re-ZES (HR: 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52-0.97), the UT-SES (HR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.29-0.95), and BP-SES (HR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.16-0.70) groups than in the CoCr-EES group (referent). Conclusions: In this contemporary PCI registry, we observed the differential risks of target-vessel failure according to various types of contemporary DES in patients with CHIP characteristics. However, owing to inherent selection bias, the results should be considered hypothesis-generating, highlighting the need for further randomized trials. (Evaluation of the First, Second, and New Drug-Eluting Stents in Routine Clinical Practice [IRIS-DES]; NCT01186133).

Mechanical Chest Compressions and Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump Combination for Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation During Primary PCI.

This case highlights the successful resuscitation of a 43-year-old man with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and refractory ventricular fibrillation by using a combination of mechanical chest compressions and intra-aortic balloon pump insertion. This bailout strategy facilitated primary multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention in a center without on-site extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Long-term safety and absorption assessment of a novel bioresorbable nitrided iron scaffold in porcine coronary artery.

This study aimed to investigate the long-term biocompatibility, safety, and degradation of the ultrathin nitrided iron bioresorbable scaffold (BRS) in vivo, encompassing the whole process of bioresorption in porcine coronary arteries. Fifty-two nitrided iron scaffolds (strut thickness of 70 µm) and 28 Vision Co-Cr stents were randomly implanted into coronary arteries of healthy mini-swine. The efficacy and safety of the nitrided iron scaffold were comparable with those of the Vision stentwithin 52 weeks after implantation. In addition, the long-term biocompatibility, safety, and bioresorption of the nitrided iron scaffold were evaluated by coronary angiography, optical coherence tomography, micro-computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry and histopathological evaluations at 4, 12, 26, 52 weeks and even at 7 years after implantation. In particular, a large number of struts were almost completely absorbed in situ at 7 years follow-up, which were first illustrated in this study. The lymphatic drainage pathway might serve as the potential clearance way of iron and its corrosion products.

Comparison of 2 Different Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons in Coronary In-Stent Restenosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) offer an effective treatment for in-stent restenosis (ISR). The Genoss DCB is a novel paclitaxel-coated balloon with a shellac plus vitamin E excipient that enhances drug delivery to the target lesion, minimizing restenosis. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the angiographic efficacy, clinical safety, and effectiveness of the novel shellac plus vitamin E-based DCB in a randomized controlled trial designed to enable regulatory approval of this new device in South Korea. Methods: This noninferiority trial randomized patients experiencing their first ISR to the novel shellac plus vitamin E-based DCB or the reference SeQuent Please iopromide-based DCB in a 1:1 ratio. All patients underwent planned angiographic and clinical follow-up at 6 months. The study was powered for the primary endpoint of 6 months in-segment late lumen loss (LLL). Results: A total of 82 patients from 7 centers were randomized to either the novel shellac plus vitamin E-based DCB group (n = 41) or the reference iopromide-based DCB group (n = 41). The 6-month in-segment LLL was 0.15 ± 0.43 mm with the novel DCB compared with 0.24 ± 0.39 mm with the reference device. The 1-sided 97.5% upper confidence limit of the difference was 0.13 mm, lower than the noninferiority limit of 0.29 mm, achieving noninferiority (P for noninferiority = 0.001). Major cardiovascular events were comparable between 2 groups at 6 months (7.7% for the novel DCB vs 10.3% for the reference DCB; P = 0.692). Conclusions: In this multicenter, head-to-head comparison randomized trial, the novel shellac plus vitamin E-based DCB showed a comparable result to the reference iopromide-based device for the primary endpoint of 6-month in-segment LLL for the treatment of coronary ISR. (Compare the Safety and Efficacy of Genoss® DCB and SeQuent® Please in Korean Patient With Coronary In-stent Restenosis; NCT04405063).

Coronary artery intramural hematoma, a rare complication of percutaneous coronary intervention.

Coronary artery intramural hematoma is a rare complication of percutaneous coronary intervention which develops from intimal tear of coronary artery and propagates by blood accumulation along the medial surface of adjacent segment. Fifty-three-year-old male presented with nonexertional chest pain; he was referred after a positive stress test with+ moderate lateral wall ischemia. Coronary angiography showed 80% lesion in mid-left anterior descending artery (mLAD). Angiogram after angioplasty with 2.0 mm × 15 mm balloon and 3.0 mm × 15 mm drug-eluting-stent demonstrated a new stenotic lesion distal to stented mLAD segment. Subsequently, an overlapping 3.0 mm × 30 mm stent was placed with effective restoration of blood flow through LAD. During percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), balloon predilatation can result in plaque fracture and stent deployment may cause intimal tear forming intramural hematoma which can lead to post-PCI myocardial infarction necessitating prompt detection by intravascular imaging with intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography. Management is based on individual patient's characteristics and includes medical therapy, angiographic surveillance or repeat PCI.

Rapidly Progressive Coronary Aneurysm: A Rare Case of Isolated Coronary Vasculitis With Recurrent Myocardial Infarction.

Isolated coronary arteritis without systemic involvement in adults is exceedingly rare. A 60-year-old patient developed recurrent non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions for 1 year. After an initial coronary angiogram that was normal, serial angiograms showed de novo aneurysm formation. The patient responded favorably to corticosteroids, supporting the diagnosis of isolated coronary arteritis. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Comparison of Different Types of Drug-Eluting Stents for De Novo Long Coronary Artery Lesions.

Background: Outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention for diffuse long lesions remain relatively unfavorable. Prior clinical trials investigated the relative efficacy and safety of different types of drug-eluting stents (DES) in long lesions. Objectives: This study sought to compare the relative performance of different types of DES for de novo long (≥25 mm) coronary artery lesions. Methods: Using a pooled analysis of individual data of 1,450 patients from 3 randomized clinical trials, we compared angiographic and clinical outcomes of 5 different types of DES: 224 patients with cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents (EES), 255 with platinum-chromium EES, 250 with Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents, 245 with biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stents, and 476 with first-generation sirolimus-eluting stents (SES). The primary endpoint was in-segment late lumen loss at 9 months. Results: The primary endpoint was not significantly different between 4 second-generation DES and 1 first-generation SES (0.17 ± 0.41 mm in cobalt-chromium EES; 0.11 ± 0.37 in platinum-chromium EES: 0.14 ± 0.38 in Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents; 0.14 ± 0.38 in biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stents; or 0.10 ± 0.37 in SES, respectively, overall P = 0.38). Also, there were no significant between-group differences with respect to death, myocardial infarction, target-vessel revascularization, or stent thrombosis at 12 months. In the multiple treatment propensity-score analysis, the risk of angiographic and clinical outcomes was also similar among several types of DES. Conclusions: In this patient-level pooled analysis, several second-generation DES showed similar angiographic and clinical outcomes in patients with de novo long coronary lesions. (Percutaneous Treatment of LONG Native Coronary Lesions With Drug-Eluting Stent-III [LONG-DES-III]; NCT01078038; Percutaneous Treatment of LONG Native Coronary Lesions With Drug-Eluting Stent-IV [LONG-DES-IV]; NCT01186094; and Everolimus-eluting [PROMUS-ELEMENT] vs. Biolimus A9-Eluting [NOBORI] Stents for Long-Coronary Lesions [LONG-DES-V]; NCT01186120).

Perioperative Management of Antiplatelet Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: To summarize the available evidence about the perioperative management of patients who are receiving long-term antiplatelet therapy and require elective surgery/procedures. Methods: This systematic review supports the development of the American College of Chest Physicians guideline on the perioperative management of antiplatelet therapy. A literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and Cochrane databases was conducted from each database's inception to July 16, 2020. Meta-analyses were conducted when possible. Results: In patients receiving long-term antiplatelet therapy and undergoing elective noncardiac surgery, the available evidence did not show a significant difference in major bleeding between a shorter vs longer antiplatelet interruption, with low certainty of evidence (COE). Compared with patients who received placebo perioperatively, aspirin continuation was associated with increased risk of major bleeding (relative risk [RR], 1.31; 95% CI, 1.15-1.50; high COE) and lower risk of major thromboembolism (RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.58-0.94; moderate COE). During antiplatelet interruption, bridging with low-molecular-weight heparin was associated with increased risk of major bleeding compared with no bridging (RR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.24-2.79; very low COE). Continuation of antiplatelets during minor dental and ophthalmologic procedures was not associated with a statistically significant difference in the risk of major bleeding (very low COE). Conclusion: This systematic review summarizes the current evidence about the perioperative management of antiplatelet therapy and highlights the urgent need for further research, particularly with the increasing prevalence of patients taking 1 or more antiplatelet agents.

Determinant of repeat revascularization within 5 years of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention at a tertiary care hospital, Karachi: A matched case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine factors associated with repeat revascularization among adults aged 25 years and above within 5 years of first Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) at a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: A matched case-control study was conducted through a hospital records review. A total of 90 cases with repeat revascularization and 180 controls without repeat revascularization were included. Data was analyzed using Multiple Conditional Logistic Regression. RESULTS: The mean age was similar in cases and controls (60.05 ± 10.01 vs 62.20 ± 10.43 years) and sex (male: 77.8% vs. 76.1%). History of being an ever-smoker (40% vs. 25%), overweight (36.3% vs. 30.6%), and poor glycemic control (23.3% vs. 12.2%) were more among the cases than controls. However, obesity (53.7% vs. 44.3%) and pre-diabetes (16.1% vs. 7.8%) were more in controls compared to cases.Upon matching on the time of index PCI, the adjusted odds of ever smokers among patients with repeat revascularization was 2.47 times the odds of ever smokers among patients who did not undergo revascularization. Increasing stent diameter by 1 mm was found to reduce the risk of repeat revascularization by 51%. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking cessation and appropriate selection of stent diameter in patients undergoing revascularization can reduce the risk of repeat revascularization in the future.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease: Present Status and Future Perspectives.

For several decades, coronary artery bypass grafting has been regarded as the standard choice of revascularization for significant left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. However, in conjunction with remarkable advancement of device technology and adjunctive pharmacology, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) offers a more expeditious approach with rapid recovery and is a safe and effective alternative in appropriately selected patients with LMCA disease. Several landmark randomized clinical trials showed that PCI with drug-eluting stents for LMCA disease is a safe option with similar long-term survival rates to coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, especially in those with low and intermediate anatomic risk. Although it is expected that the updated evidence from recent randomized clinical trials will determine the next guidelines for the foreseeable future, there are still unresolved and unmet issues of LMCA revascularization and PCI strategy. This paper provides a comprehensive review on the evolution and an update on the management of LMCA disease.

Antithrombotic Therapy After Acute Coronary Syndromes or Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in East Asian Populations.

Because guidelines and recommendations in response to multiple randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of new therapies undergo rapid changes, antithrombotic therapies for patients after acute coronary syndrome, or percutaneous coronary intervention, are becoming more complex in daily clinical practice. The proportion of Asian populations enrolled in landmark RCTs is substantially low, which limits the direct application of trial findings into clinical practice in Asian countries. Moreover, compared with Caucasian patients, East Asian patients are considered to have a different ischemia/bleeding propensity in response to antithrombotic therapy, known as the "East Asian paradox" (ie, more bleeding events but fewer thromboembolic events). Coincident with consecutive RCTs in Western populations to optimize antithrombotic strategies, several such studies have now been conducted in East Asian cohorts. Herein, we provide a comprehensive summary of the key RCTs in this regard and propose future directions and perspectives for optimal antithrombotic therapies in East Asian patients.

Minimally invasive surgery or stenting for left anterior descending artery disease - meta-analysis.

Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are both well-established minimally invasive revascularization strategies in patients with proximal left anterior descending (LAD) lesions. We aimed to evaluate the 20-years' experience by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing MIDCAB versus PCI in adults with proximal LAD disease. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane on October 1st, 2021 for articles published in the year 2000 or later. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included cardiac mortality, repeat target vessel revascularization (rTVR), myocardial infarction (MI), and cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Outcomes were analysed at short-term, mid-term, and long-term follow-up. Random effects meta-analyses were performed. Events were compared using risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Our search yielded 17 studies pooling 3847 patients. At short-term follow-up, cardiac mortality was higher with MIDCAB than with PCI (RR 7.30, 95% CI: 1.38 to 38.61). At long-term follow-up, MIDCAB showed a decrease in all-cause mortality (RR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.93). MIDCAB showed a decrease in rTVR at mid-term follow-up (RR 0.16, 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.23) and at long-term follow-up (RR 0.25, 95% CI: 0.17 to 0.38). MI and CVA comparisons were not significant. In conclusion, in patients with proximal LAD lesions, MIDCAB showed a higher short-term mortality in the RCTs, but the cohort studies suggested a lower all-cause mortality at long-term follow-up. We confirm a decreased rTVR at mid-term follow-up in the RCTs and long-term follow-up in the cohort studies.

Advances in the development of biodegradable coronary stents: A translational perspective.

Implantation of cardiovascular stents is an important therapeutic method to treat coronary artery diseases. Bare-metal and drug-eluting stents show promising clinical outcomes, however, their permanent presence may create complications. In recent years, numerous preclinical and clinical trials have evaluated the properties of bioresorbable stents, including polymer and magnesium-based stents. Three-dimensional (3D) printed-shape-memory polymeric materials enable the self-deployment of stents and provide a novel approach for individualized treatment. Novel bioresorbable metallic stents such as iron- and zinc-based stents have also been investigated and refined. However, the development of novel bioresorbable stents accompanied by clinical translation remains time-consuming and challenging. This review comprehensively summarizes the development of bioresorbable stents based on their preclinical/clinical trials and highlights translational research as well as novel technologies for stents (e.g., bioresorbable electronic stents integrated with biosensors). These findings are expected to inspire the design of novel stents and optimization approaches to improve the efficacy of treatments for cardiovascular diseases.

Aneurysmal Dilatation of the Superficial Femoral Artery After Endovascular Intervention.

A patient with occlusion of the left superficial femoral artery (SFA) underwent endovascular intervention. Six-month follow-up angiography revealed aneurysmal dilatation of the previously stented artery. This finding may be a result of maladaptive vascular remodeling or arterial injury resulting in aneurysmal dilatation secondary to subintimal crossing, atherectomy, and paclitaxel therapies. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.).