Intravascular Imaging-Guided or Angiography-Guided Complex PCI

Acute Coronary Syndrome Revascularization Strategies With Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease

In acute coronary syndromes (ACS), revascularization is the standard of care. However, trials comparing contemporary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are limited. Optimal revascularization in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (MV-CAD) presenting with ACS is unclear. This is a multicentered, retrospective observational study from a large hospital system in the United States. We abstracted data in patients with MV-CAD and ACS from 2018 to 2022 who underwent revascularization with PCI, CABG, or medical management (MM). We evaluated multivariate statistics comparing categorical variables and outcomes, including all-cause mortality and myocardial infarction (MI) at 1 year. All logistic and Cox proportional-hazard models were balanced using inverse probability treatment weights accounting for age and gender. There were 295 patients with CABG (median age 66 years [interquartile range 59.7 to 73.1]; 73% male), 1,559 patients with PCI (median age 68.3 years [interquartile range 60 to 76.6]; 69.1% male], and 307 patients with MM (median age 70 years [60.9 to 77.1] 74% male]. Patients revascularized with PCI had greater all-cause mortality at 1 year (14.1% vs 5.1%; hazard ratio 2.4, confidence interval [1.5 to 3.8], p <0.001) and similar mortality to MM (13.4%). CABG also showed a reduced 1-year MI rate compared with PCI (1.7% vs 3.9%; hazard ratio 0.36, confidence interval 0.21 to 0.61, p ≤0.001), with a similar 1-year rate of MI to MM (3.9%). In conclusion, CABG is associated with lower mortality than are PCI and MM, and repeat ACS events at 1 year in patients with ACS and MV-CAD.

Racial/Ethnic, Sex, and Economic Disparities in the Utilization and Outcomes of Intracoronary Imaging

Background

Intracoronary imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with improved outcomes compared with angiography-guided PCI. Data on racial/ethnic, sex, and economic disparities in the utilization and outcomes of intracoronary imaging in the United States are scarce.

Methods

We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2020) to examine racial/ethnic, sex, and economic differences in the utilization of intracoronary imaging among patients who underwent PCI. Trends, in-hospital mortality, and safety of intracoronary imaging were also assessed.

Results

Among 2,212,595 weighted hospitalizations for PCI, 204,735 (9.2%) included intracoronary imaging. The utilization rate of intracoronary imaging was similar in Black and Hispanic patients compared with White patients (9.8% vs 10.2% vs 10.0%; P = .68) and lower for women compared with men (10.0% vs 10.3%; P = .01) and for patients with low and medium income compared with high income (9.2% vs 10.0% vs 12.5%; P < .01). In multivariable regression analysis, low and medium income were independently associated with lower intracoronary imaging use compared with high income (both P < .01). From 2016 through 2020, the use of intracoronary imaging in PCI increased significantly in all racial/ethnic, sex, and economic groups (all P trend < .01). Among patients who underwent PCI with intracoronary imaging, Black race was associated with higher odds of acute kidney injury compared with White race (adjusted odds ratio, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.25-1.57). In-hospital mortality was similar between different racial/ethnic, sex, and economic groups.

Conclusions

Low and medium income are independently associated with lower intracoronary imaging use in PCI compared with high income. Further studies are needed to identify effective strategies to mitigate economic disparities in intracoronary imaging use.

Intravascular Imaging in the Diagnosis and Management of Patients With Suspected Intracoronary Pathologies: A CJC White Paper

Intravascular imaging has become an integral part of the diagnostic and management strategies for intracoronary pathologies. In this White Paper we summarize current evidence and its implications on the use of intravascular imaging in interventional cardiology practice. The areas addressed are planning and optimization of percutaneous coronary intervention, management of stent failure, and evaluation of ambiguous coronary lesions and myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary disease. The findings presented followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system in an expert consensus process that involved a diverse writing group vetted by a review group. Expert consensus was achieved around 9 statements. Use of intravascular imaging in guiding percutaneous revascularization is supported by high-quality evidence, particularly for lesions with increased risk of recurrent events or stent failure. Specific considerations for intravascular imaging guidance of intervention in left main lesions, chronic occlusion lesions, and in patients at high risk of contrast nephropathy are explored. Use of intravascular imaging to identify pathologies associated with stent failure and guide repeat intervention, resolve ambiguities in lesion assessment, and establish diagnoses in patients who present with myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary disease is supported by moderate- to low-quality evidence. Each topic is accompanied by clinical pointers to aid the practicing interventional cardiologist in implementation of the White Paper findings. The findings presented in this White Paper will help to guide the use of intravascular imaging toward situations in which the balance of efficacy, safety, and cost are most optimal.

Optical coherence tomography-guided vs. intravascular ultrasound-guided percutaneous coronary intervention: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) are superior to coronary angiography for guiding percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, whether one technique is superior to the other is inconclusive.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to November 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing OCT and IVUS in patients undergoing PCI. RevMan 5.4 was used to pool outcomes with risk ratio (RR) as the effect measure.

Results

Six RCTs (4,402 patients) were included in this meta-analysis. There was no significant difference between the OCT- and IVUS-guided PCI groups in the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (RR 0.87, 95% CI: 0.65, 1.16; I2 = 0%) and cardiac mortality (RR 0.73, 95% CI: 0.24, 2.21; I2 = 0%). The results were consistent across the subgroups of the presence or absence of left main disease (P interaction >0.1). There were no significant differences between OCT and IVUS in the risk of target lesion revascularization (RR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.47, 1.30; I2 = 0%), target vessel revascularization (RR 1.06, 95% CI: 0.69, 1.62; I2 = 0%), target-vessel myocardial infarction (RR 0.79, 95% CI: 0.40, 1.53; I2 = 0%), stent thrombosis (RR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.12, 2.97; I2 = 0%), and all-cause mortality (RR 1.01, 95% CI: 0.53, 1.90; I2 = 0%).

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis demonstrated similar clinical outcomes in OCT- and IVUS-guided PCI. New large-scale multicenter RCTs with long-term follow-up are required to confirm or refute our findings and provide more reliable results.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO, identifier, CRD42023486933.

Impact of Intravascular Imaging-Guided Stent Optimization According to Clinical Presentation in Patients Undergoing Complex PCI

BACKGROUND

It is unclear whether the beneficial effects of intravascular imaging-guided stent optimization vary by clinical presentation during complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

OBJECTIVES

In this prespecified, stratified subgroup analysis from RENOVATE-COMPLEX-PCI (Randomized Controlled Trial of Intravascular Imaging Guidance versus Angiography-Guidance on Clinical Outcomes After Complex PCI), we sought to compare the outcomes between intravascular imaging vs angiography guidance according to clinical presentation.

METHODS

Patients with complex coronary artery lesions were randomly assigned to undergo either intravascular imaging-guided PCI or angiography-guided PCI in a 2:1 ratio. The primary endpoint was target vessel failure (TVF), which is a composite of cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, or clinically driven target vessel revascularization.

RESULTS

Of 1,639 patients, 832 (50.8%) presented with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and 807 (49.2%) with chronic coronary syndrome. During a median follow-up of 2.1 years (Q1-Q3: 1.4-3.0 years), there was no significant interaction between the treatment effect of intravascular imaging and clinical presentation (P for interaction = 0.19). Among patients with ACS, the incidences of TVF were 10.4% in the intravascular imaging group and 14.6% in the angiography group (HR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.48-1.15; P = 0.18). Among patients with CCS, the incidences of TVF were 5.0% in the intravascular imaging group and 10.4% in the angiography group (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.27-0.80; P = 0.006). Achieving stent optimization by intravascular imaging resulted in a reduced risk of TVF among patients with ACS who were randomly assigned to intravascular imaging-guided PCI for complex coronary lesions (optimized vs unoptimized, 6.5% vs 14.1%; HR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.27-0.87; P = 0.02) but not those with CCS (5.4% vs 4.7%, HR: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.53-2.59; P = 0.69).

CONCLUSIONS

No significant interaction was observed between the benefits of intravascular imaging and clinical presentation in the risk of TVF. Stent optimization by intravascular imaging was particularly important for ACS patients. (Intravascular Imaging- Versus Angiography-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention For Complex Coronary Artery Disease [RENOVATE]; NCT03381872).

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) - versus angiography-guided strategy for percutaneous coronary intervention: a meta-analysis of randomized trials

BACKGROUND

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) guidance in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to improve procedural outcomes. However, evidence supporting its superiority over angiography-guided PCI in terms of clinical outcomes is still emerging and limited. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of OCT-guided PCI versus angiography-guided PCI in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

METHODS

A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted to identify randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing the clinical outcomes of OCT-guided and angiography-guided PCI in patients with CAD. Clinical endpoints including all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were assessed.

RESULTS

Eleven RCTs, comprising 2,699 patients in the OCT-guided group and 2,968 patients in the angiography-guided group met inclusion criteria. OCT-guided PCI was associated with significantly lower rates of cardiovascular death(RR 0.56; 95%CI: 0.32-0.98; p = 0.04; I2 = 0%), stent thrombosis(RR 0.56; 95%CI: 0.33-0.95; p = 0.03; I2 = 0%), and MACE (RR 0.79; 95%CI: 0.66-0.95; p = 0.01; I2 = 5%). The incidence of all-cause death (RR 0.71; 95%CI: 0.49-1.02; p = 0.06; I2 = 0%), myocardial infarction (RR 0.86; 95%CI: 0.67-1.10; p = 0.22; I2 = 0%) and TLR (RR 0.98; 95%CI: 0.73-1.33; p = 0.91; I2 = 0%) was non-significantly lower in the OCT-guided group.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients undergoing PCI, OCT-guided PCI was associated with lower incidences of cardiovascular death, stent thrombosis and MACE compared to angiography-guided PCI.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023484342.

Intravascular ultrasound-guided versus angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention in acute coronary syndromes (IVUS-ACS): a two-stage, multicentre, randomised trial

BACKGROUND

Intravascular ultrasound-guided percutaneous coronary intervention has been shown to result in superior clinical outcomes compared with angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention. However, insufficient data are available concerning the advantages of intravascular ultrasound guidance for patients with an acute coronary syndrome. This trial aimed to investigate whether the use of intravascular ultrasound guidance, as compared with angiography guidance, improves the outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention with contemporary drug-eluting stents in patients presenting with an acute coronary syndrome.

METHODS

In this two-stage, multicentre, randomised trial, patients aged 18 years or older and presenting with an acute coronary syndrome at 58 centres in China, Italy, Pakistan, and the UK were randomly assigned to intravascular ultrasound-guided percutaneous coronary intervention or angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients, follow-up health-care providers, and assessors were masked to random assignment; however, staff in the catheterisation laboratory were not. The primary endpoint was target vessel failure, a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or clinically driven target vessel revascularisation at 1 year after randomisation. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03971500, and is completed.

FINDINGS

Between Aug 20, 2019 and Oct 27, 2022, 3505 patients with an acute coronary syndrome were randomly assigned to intravascular ultrasound-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (n=1753) or angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (n=1752). 1-year follow-up was completed in 3504 (>99·9%) patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 70 patients in the intravascular ultrasound group and 128 patients in the angiography group (Kaplan-Meier rate 4·0% vs 7·3%; hazard ratio 0·55 [95% CI 0·41-0·74]; p=0·0001), driven by reductions in target vessel myocardial infarction or target vessel revascularisation. There were no significant differences in all-cause death or stent thrombosis between groups. Safety endpoints were also similar in the two groups.

INTERPRETATION

In patients with an acute coronary syndrome, intravascular ultrasound-guided implantation of contemporary drug-eluting stents resulted in a lower 1-year rate of the composite outcome of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or clinically driven revascularisation compared with angiography guidance alone.

FUNDING

The Chinese Society of Cardiology, the National Natural Scientific Foundation of China, and Jiangsu Provincial & Nanjing Municipal Clinical Trial Project.

TRANSLATION

For the Mandarin translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Preventive percutaneous coronary intervention versus optimal medical therapy alone for the treatment of vulnerable atherosclerotic coronary plaques (PREVENT): a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Acute coronary syndrome and sudden cardiac death are often caused by rupture and thrombosis of lipid-rich atherosclerotic coronary plaques (known as vulnerable plaques), many of which are non-flow-limiting. The safety and effectiveness of focal preventive therapy with percutaneous coronary intervention of vulnerable plaques in reducing adverse cardiac events are unknown. We aimed to assess whether preventive percutaneous coronary intervention of non-flow-limiting vulnerable plaques improves clinical outcomes compared with optimal medical therapy alone.

METHODS

PREVENT was a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial done at 15 research hospitals in four countries (South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and New Zealand). Patients aged 18 years or older with non-flow-limiting (fractional flow reserve >0·80) vulnerable coronary plaques identified by intracoronary imaging were randomly assigned (1:1) to either percutaneous coronary intervention plus optimal medical therapy or optimal medical therapy alone, in block sizes of 4 or 6, stratified by diabetes status and the performance of percutaneous coronary intervention in a non-study target vessel. Follow-up continued annually in all enrolled patients until the last enrolled patient reached 2 years after randomisation. The primary outcome was a composite of death from cardiac causes, target-vessel myocardial infarction, ischaemia-driven target-vessel revascularisation, or hospitalisation for unstable or progressive angina, assessed in the intention-to-treat population at 2 years. Time-to-first-event estimates were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method and were compared with the log-rank test. This report is the principal analysis from the trial and includes all long-term analysed data. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02316886, and is complete.

FINDINGS

Between Sept 23, 2015, and Sept 29, 2021, 5627 patients were screened for eligibility, 1606 of whom were enrolled and randomly assigned to percutaneous coronary intervention (n=803) or optimal medical therapy alone (n=803). 1177 (73%) patients were men and 429 (27%) were women. 2-year follow-up for the primary outcome assessment was completed in 1556 (97%) patients (percutaneous coronary intervention group n=780; optimal medical therapy group n=776). At 2 years, the primary outcome occurred in three (0·4%) patients in the percutaneous coronary intervention group and in 27 (3·4%) patients in the medical therapy group (absolute difference -3·0 percentage points [95% CI -4·4 to -1·8]; p=0·0003). The effect of preventive percutaneous coronary intervention was directionally consistent for each component of the primary composite outcome. Serious clinical or adverse events did not differ between the percutaneous coronary intervention group and the medical therapy group: at 2 years, four (0·5%) versus ten (1·3%) patients died (absolute difference -0·8 percentage points [95% CI -1·7 to 0·2]) and nine (1·1%) versus 13 (1·7%) patients had myocardial infarction (absolute difference -0·5 percentage points [-1·7 to 0·6]).

INTERPRETATION

In patients with non-flow-limiting vulnerable coronary plaques, preventive percutaneous coronary intervention reduced major adverse cardiac events arising from high-risk vulnerable plaques, compared with optimal medical therapy alone. Given that PREVENT is the first large trial to show the potential effect of the focal treatment for vulnerable plaques, these findings support consideration to expand indications for percutaneous coronary intervention to include non-flow-limiting, high-risk vulnerable plaques.

FUNDING

The CardioVascular Research Foundation, Abbott, Yuhan Corp, CAH-Cordis, Philips, and Infraredx, a Nipro company.

Intravascular Imaging-Guided Optimization of Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention by Sex: A Subgroup Analysis of the RENOVATE-COMPLEX-PCI Trial

Importance

There have been heterogeneous results related to sex differences in prognosis after percutaneous coronary artery intervention (PCI) for complex coronary artery lesions.

Objective

To evaluate potential differences in outcomes with intravascular imaging-guided PCI of complex coronary artery lesions between women and men.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This prespecified substudy evaluates the interaction of sex in the investigator-initiated, open-label, multicenter RENOVATE-COMPLEX-PCI randomized clinical trial, which demonstrated the superiority of intravascular imaging-guided PCI compared with angiography-guided PCI in patients with complex coronary artery lesions. The trial was conducted at 20 sites in Korea. Patients with complex coronary artery lesions undergoing PCI were enrolled between May 2018 and May 2021, and the median (IQR) follow-up period was 2.1 (1.4-3.0) years. Data were analyzed from December 2022 to December 2023.

Interventions

After diagnostic coronary angiography, eligible patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive intravascular imaging-guided PCI or angiography-guided PCI. The choice and timing of the intravascular imaging device were left to the operators' discretion.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary end point was target vessel failure, defined as a composite of cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, or clinically driven target vessel revascularization. Secondary end points included individual components of the primary end point.

Results

Of 1639 included patients, 339 (20.7%) were women, and the mean (SD) age was 65.6 (10.2) years. There was no difference in the risk of the primary end point between women and men (9.4% vs 8.3%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.39; 95% CI, 0.89-2.18; P = .15). Intravascular imaging-guided PCI tended to have lower incidence of the primary end point than angiography-guided PCI in both women (5.2% vs 14.5%; adjusted HR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.15-0.78; P = .01) and men (8.3% vs 11.7%; adjusted HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.49-1.05; P = .09) without significant interaction (P for interaction = .86).

Conclusions and Relevance

In patients undergoing complex PCI, compared with angiographic guidance, intravascular imaging guidance was associated with similar reduction in the risk of target vessel failure among women and men. The treatment benefit of intravascular imaging-guided PCI showed no significant interaction between treatment strategy and sex.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03381872.

Long-term clinical outcomes of intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention versus angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention in complex coronary lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: In this study, we aim to discuss the long-term clinical outcomes of intravascular ultrasound imaging-guided percutaneous intervention (IVUS-PCI) versus angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in complex coronary lesions over a mean period of 2 years. Methods: A systematic search and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the efficacy of using intravascular ultrasound or optical coherence tomography guidance in coronary artery stenting compared to angiography. Results: A total of 11 randomized controlled trials with 6740 patients were included. For the primary outcome, a pooled analysis (3.2 vs 5.6%). For secondary outcomes, the risk was significantly low in image-guided percutaneous intervention compared with angiography. Conclusion: Intravascular imaging-guided PCI is significantly more effective than angiography-guided PCI in reducing the risk of target lesion revascularization, target vessel revascularization, cardiac death, major adverse cardiovascular events and stent thrombosis.

Long-term impact of intravascular ultrasound-guidance for percutaneous coronary intervention on unprotected left main. The IMPACTUS-LM, an observational, multicentric study

INTRODUCTION

The potential benefit on long term outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) on Unprotected Left Main (ULM) driven by IntraVascular UltraSound (IVUS) remains to be defined.

METHODS

IMPACTUS LM-PCI is an observational, multicenter study that enrolled consecutive patients with ULM disease undergoing coronary angioplasty in 13 European high-volume centers from January 2002 to December 2015. Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACEs) a composite of cardiovascular (CV) death, target vessel revascularization (TVR) and myocardial infarction (MI) were the primary endpoints, while its single components along with all cause death the secondary ones.

RESULTS

627 patients with ULM disease were enrolled, 213 patients (34%) underwent IVUS-guided PCI while 414 (66%) angioguided PCI. Patients in the two cohorts had similar prevalence of risk factors except for active smoking and clinical presentation. During a median follow-up of 7.5 years, 47 (22%) patients in the IVUS group and 211 (51%) in the angio-guided group underwent the primary endpoint (HR 0.42; 95% CI [0.31-0.58] p < 0.001). After multivariate adjustment, IVUS was significantly associated with a reduced incidence of the primary endpoint (adj HR 0.39; 95% CI [0.23-0.64], p < 0.001), mainly driven by a reduction of TVR (ad HR 0.30, 95% CI [0.15-0.62], p = 0.001) and of all-cause death (adj HR 0.47, 95% CI [0.28-0.82], p = 0.008). IVUS use, age, diabetes, side branch stenosis, DES and creatinine at admission were independent predictors of MACE.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients undergoing ULM PCI, the use of IVUS was associated with a reduced risk at long-term follow-up of MACE, all-cause death and subsequent revascularization.

Intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

There are no clinical data on the efficacy of intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with angiography-guided PCI in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and cardiogenic shock. The current study sought to evaluate the impact of intravascular imaging-guided PCI in patients with AMI and cardiogenic shock.

METHODS

Among a total of 28 732 patients from the nationwide pooled registry of KAMIR-NIH (November, 2011 to December, 2015) and KAMIR-V (January, 2016 to June, 2020), we selected a total of 1833 patients (6.4%) with AMI and cardiogenic shock who underwent PCI of the culprit vessel. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) at 1 year, a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, and definite or probable stent thrombosis.

RESULTS

Among the study population, 375 patients (20.5%) underwent intravascular imaging-guided PCI and 1458 patients (79.5%) underwent angiography-guided PCI. Intravascular imaging-guided PCI was associated with a significantly lower risk of 1-year MACE than angiography-guided PCI (19.5% vs 28.2%; HR, 0.59; 95%CI, 0.45-0.77; P<.001), mainly driven by a lower risk of cardiac death (13.7% vs 24.0%; adjusted HR, 0.53; 95%CI, 0.39-0.72; P<.001). These results were consistent in propensity score matching (HR, 0.68; 95%CI, 0.46-0.99), inverse probability weighting (HR, 0.61; 95%CI, 0.45-0.83), and Bayesian analysis (Odds ratio, 0.66, 95% credible interval, 0.49-0.88).

CONCLUSIONS

In AMI patients with cardiogenic shock, intravascular imaging-guided PCI was associated with a lower risk of MACE at 1-year than angiography-guided PCI, mainly driven by the lower risk of cardiac death.

Coronary Angiography, Intravascular Ultrasound, and Optical Coherence Tomography for Guiding of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Results from multiple randomized clinical trials comparing outcomes after intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)- and optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with invasive coronary angiography (ICA)-guided PCI as well as a pivotal trial comparing the 2 intravascular imaging (IVI) techniques have provided mixed results.

METHODS

Major electronic databases were searched to identify eligible trials evaluating at least 2 PCI guidance strategies among ICA, IVUS, and OCT. The 2 coprimary outcomes were target lesion revascularization and myocardial infarction. The secondary outcomes included ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization, target vessel myocardial infarction, death, cardiac death, target vessel revascularization, stent thrombosis, and major adverse cardiac events. Frequentist random-effects network meta-analyses were conducted. The results were replicated by Bayesian random-effects models. Pairwise meta-analyses of the direct components, multiple sensitivity analyses, and pairwise meta-analyses IVI versus ICA were supplemented.

RESULTS

The results from 24 randomized trials (15 489 patients: IVUS versus ICA, 46.4%, 7189 patients; OCT versus ICA, 32.1%, 4976 patients; OCT versus IVUS, 21.4%, 3324 patients) were included in the network meta-analyses. IVUS was associated with reduced target lesion revascularization compared with ICA (odds ratio [OR], 0.69 [95% CI, 0.54-0.87]), whereas no significant differences were observed between OCT and ICA (OR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.63-1.09]) and OCT and IVUS (OR, 1.21 [95% CI, 0.88-1.66]). Myocardial infarction did not significantly differ between guidance strategies (IVUS versus ICA: OR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.70-1.19]; OCT versus ICA: OR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.68-1.11]; OCT versus IVUS: OR, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.69-1.33]). These results were consistent with the secondary outcomes of ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization, target vessel myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization, and sensitivity analyses generally did not reveal inconsistency. OCT was associated with a significant reduction of stent thrombosis compared with ICA (OR, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.26-0.92]) but only in the frequentist analysis. Similarly, the results in terms of survival between IVUS or OCT and ICA were uncertain across analyses. A total of 25 randomized trials (17 128 patients) were included in the pairwise meta-analyses IVI versus ICA where IVI guidance was associated with reduced target lesion revascularization, cardiac death, and stent thrombosis.

CONCLUSIONS

IVI-guided PCI was associated with a reduction in ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization compared with ICA-guided PCI, with the difference most evident for IVUS. In contrast, no significant differences in myocardial infarction were observed between guidance strategies.

Practice differences and knowledge gaps in complex and high-risk interventions between Japan and the USA: A case-based discussion

Advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) devices and techniques have expanded the pool of eligible patients for revascularization, including those with comorbidities, reduced left ventricular function, or anatomical complexity (defined as CHIP: complex and high-risk interventions in indicated patients). CHIP interventions are typically performed by selected operators who specialize in complex PCI. This review presents two cases performed in the USA, to discuss the similarities and differences in practice patterns between CHIP operators in Japan and the USA. The first case involves a 58-year-old male presenting with myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock, and the second case involves a 51-year-old female with a history of coronary artery bypass grafting presenting with a chronic total occlusion and PCI complicated by vessel perforation. The discussion focuses on appropriate patient selection, the role of the heart team approach for decision-making, the use of hemodynamic support devices, and other relevant factors. By comparing practices in Japan and the USA, this review highlights opportunities for knowledge exchange and potential areas for improving patient outcomes.

Intracoronary imaging to guide percutaneous coronary intervention: from evidence to guidelines

Despite notable advances in devices and techniques, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still affected by a substantial number of complications and failure rates. Over the years, the use of intracoronary imaging (ICI) has dramatically improved the understanding of mechanical and technical factors related to successful and failed PCI, becoming a mainstay in complex trans-catheter interventions. However, ICI modalities are invasive, time-consuming, and costly, and a net clinical benefit needs to be shown in order to recommend their routine use in clinical practice. In the past, the lack of evidence from randomized trials has been reflected in the scepticism shown by international guidelines. The recent publication of large randomized clinical trials conducted worldwide has provided new evidence regarding the clinical usefulness of ICI guidance in PCI. The consistent reduction of adverse events achieved in these trials, also demonstrated in an updated meta-analysis, suggested that the use of ICI in PCI is compelling to achieve optimal technical results and better outcomes, especially in complex high-risk interventions. Also considering the burden of information provided by ICI on coronary artery disease, looking from the inside seems today an opportunity that modern cardiology cannot ignore anymore.

The Evolving Field of Acute Coronary Syndrome Management: A Critical Appraisal of the 2023 European Society of Cardiology Guidelines for the Management of Acute Coronary Syndrome

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS), encompassing conditions like ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS), represent a significant challenge in cardiovascular care due to their complex pathophysiology and substantial impact on morbidity and mortality. The 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for ACS management introduce several updates in key areas such as invasive treatment timing in NSTE-ACS, pre-treatment strategies, approaches to multivessel disease, and the use of imaging modalities including computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and intracoronary imaging techniques, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). They also address a modulation of antiplatelet therapy, taking into consideration different patient risk profiles, and introduce new recommendations for low-dose colchicine. These guidelines provide important evidence-based updates in practice, reflecting an evolution in the understanding and management of ACS, yet some potentially missed opportunities for more personalized care and technology adoption are discussed.

Intravascular Imaging Findings After PCI in Patients With Focal and Diffuse Coronary Artery Disease

BACKGROUND

Following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), optical coherence tomography provides prognosis information. The pullback pressure gradient is a novel index that discriminates focal from diffuse coronary artery disease based on fractional flow reserve pullbacks. We sought to investigate the association between coronary artery disease patterns, defined by coronary physiology, and optical coherence tomography after stent implantation in stable patients undergoing PCI.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This multicenter, prospective, single-arm study was conducted in 5 countries (NCT03782688). Subjects underwent motorized fractional flow reserve pullbacks evaluation followed by optical coherence tomography-guided PCI. Post-PCI optical coherence tomography minimum stent area, stent expansion, and the presence of suboptimal findings such as incomplete stent apposition, stent edge dissection, and irregular tissue protrusion were compared between patients with focal versus diffuse disease. Overall, 102 patients (105 vessels) were included. Fractional flow reserve before PCI was 0.65±0.14, pullback pressure gradient was 0.66±0.14, and post-PCI fractional flow reserve was 0.88±0.06. The mean minimum stent area was 5.69±1.99 mm2 and was significantly larger in vessels with focal disease (6.18±2.12 mm2 versus 5.19±1.72 mm2, P=0.01). After PCI, incomplete stent apposition, stent edge dissection, and irregular tissue protrusion were observed in 27.6%, 10.5%, and 51.4% of the cases, respectively. Vessels with focal disease at baseline had a lower prevalence of incomplete stent apposition (11.3% versus 44.2%, P=0.002) and more irregular tissue protrusion (69.8% versus 32.7%, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline coronary pathophysiological patterns are associated with suboptimal imaging findings after PCI. Patients with focal disease had larger minimum stent area and a higher incidence of tissue protrusion, whereas stent malapposition was more frequent in patients with diffuse disease.

Intravascular imaging-guided coronary drug-eluting stent implantation: an updated network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Previous meta-analyses have shown reduced risks of composite adverse events with intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with angiography guidance alone. However, these studies have been insufficiently powered to show whether all-cause death or all myocardial infarction are reduced with intravascular imaging guidance, and most previous intravascular imaging studies were done with intravascular ultrasound rather than optical coherence tomography (OCT), a newer imaging modality. We aimed to assess the comparative performance of intravascular imaging-guided PCI and angiography-guided PCI with drug-eluting stents.

METHODS

For this systematic review and updated meta-analysis, we searched the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases from inception to Aug 30, 2023, for studies that randomly assigned patients undergoing PCI with drug-eluting stents either to intravascular ultrasound or OCT, or both, or to angiography alone to guide the intervention. The searches were done and study-level data were extracted independently by two investigators. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure, defined as the composite of cardiac death, target vessel-myocardial infarction (TV-MI), or target lesion revascularisation, assessed in patients randomly assigned to intravascular imaging guidance (intravascular ultrasound or OCT) versus angiography guidance. We did a standard frequentist meta-analysis to generate direct data, and a network meta-analysis to generate indirect data and overall treatment effects. Outcomes were expressed as relative risks (RRs) with 95% CIs at the longest reported follow-up duration. This study was registered with the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO, number CRD42023455662).

FINDINGS

22 trials were identified in which 15 964 patients were randomised and followed for a weighted mean duration of 24·7 months (longest duration of follow-up in each study ranging from 6 to 60 months). Compared with angiography-guided PCI, intravascular imaging-guided PCI resulted in a decreased risk of target lesion failure (RR 0·71 [95% CI 0·63-0·80]; p<0·0001), driven by reductions in the risks of cardiac death (RR 0·55 [95% CI 0·41-0·75]; p=0·0001), TV-MI (RR 0·82 [95% CI 0·68-0·98]; p=0·030), and target lesion revascularisation (RR 0·72 [95% CI 0·60-0·86]; p=0·0002). Intravascular imaging guidance also reduced the risks of stent thrombosis (RR 0·52 [95% CI 0·34-0·81]; p=0·0036), all myocardial infarction (RR 0·83 [95% CI 0·71-0·99]; p=0·033), and all-cause death (RR 0·75 [95% CI 0·60-0·93]; p=0·0091). Outcomes were similar for OCT-guided and intravascular ultrasound-guided PCI.

INTERPRETATION

Compared with angiography guidance, intravascular imaging guidance of coronary stent implantation with OCT or intravascular ultrasound enhances both the safety and effectiveness of PCI, reducing the risks of death, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularisation, and stent thrombosis.

FUNDING

Abbott.

The use of mechanical circulatory support in elective high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions: a literature-based review

Contemporary medical practices allow complete percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a considerable number of patients who previously would have been considered too 'high-risk' for such procedures. The use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices during these high-risk PCIs (HR-PCIs) is thought to reduce the potential risk for major adverse events during and after revascularization. The intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO), and the Impella are the most common MCS devices in use. This review aims to summarize the clinical evidence for each of these devices and the potential mechanisms for the improvement in patient outcomes in HR-PCI. The IABP use has rapidly declined in recent years due to no evidence of benefit in HR-PCI and cardiogenic shock. The V-A ECMO results in low rates of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) but higher rates of acute kidney injury and increased need for transfusions. In initial studies, Impella resulted in a reduced need for repeat interventions and reduced rates of hypotension, but no benefit in mortality. However, MACCE rates with Impella have gradually declined over the last 10 years, reflecting increased operator experience and technical improvements. Thus, a large, randomized trial is needed to assess the efficacy of Impella in HR-PCI with contemporary standards of care. There is currently no individual parameter that can identify patients who would benefit from MCS use in elective HR-PCI. To address this gap, we propose an algorithm that combines anatomical complexity, comorbidities, and clinical presentation to accurately identify candidates for MCS-assisted HR-PCI.

Cost-Effectiveness of Intravascular Imaging-Guided Complex PCI: Prespecified Analysis of RENOVATE-COMPLEX-PCI Trial

BACKGROUND

Although clinical benefits of intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with complex coronary artery lesions have been observed in previous trials, the cost-effectiveness of this strategy is uncertain.

METHODS

RENOVATE-COMPLEX-PCI (Randomized Controlled Trial of Intravascular Imaging Guidance vs Angiography-Guidance on Clinical Outcomes After Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) was conducted in Korea between May 2018 and May 2021. This prespecified cost-effectiveness substudy was conducted using Markov model that simulated 3 states: (1) post-PCI, (2) spontaneous myocardial infarction, and (3) death. A simulated cohort was derived from the intention-to-treat population, and input parameters were extracted from either the trial data or previous publications. Cost-effectiveness was evaluated using time horizon of 3 years (within trial) and lifetime. The primary outcome was incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), an indicator of incremental cost on additional quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained, in intravascular imaging-guided PCI compared with angiography-guided PCI. The current analysis was performed using the Korean health care sector perspective with reporting the results in US dollar (1200 Korean Won, ₩=1 dollar, $). Willingness to pay threshold was $35 000 per QALY gained.

RESULTS

A total of 1639 patients were included in the trial. During 3-year follow-up, medical costs ($8661 versus $7236; incremental cost, $1426) and QALY (2.34 versus 2.31; incremental QALY, 0.025) were both higher in intravascular imaging-guided PCI than angiography-guided PCI, resulting incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $57 040 per QALY gained within trial data. Conversely, lifetime simulation showed total cumulative medical cost was reversed between the 2 groups ($40 455 versus $49 519; incremental cost, -$9063) with consistently higher QALY (8.24 versus 7.89; incremental QALY, 0.910) in intravascular imaging-guided PCI than angiography-guided PCI, resulting in a dominant incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. Consistently, 70% of probabilistic iterations showed cost-effectiveness of intravascular imaging-guided PCI in probabilistic sensitivity analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The current cost-effectiveness analysis suggests that imaging-guided PCI is more cost-effective than angiography-guided PCI by reducing medical cost and increasing quality-of-life in complex coronary artery lesions in long-term follow-up.

REGISTRATION

URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03381872.

Influence of left ventricular ejection fraction in patients undergoing contemporary pLVAD-supported high-risk PCI

BACKGROUND

Left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction worsens outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The objective of this study, therefore, was to evaluate outcomes of pLVAD-supported high-risk PCI (HRPCI) patients according to LV ejection fraction (LVEF).

METHODS

Patients from the PROTECT III study undergoing pLVAD-supported HRPCI were stratified according to baseline LVEF: severe LV dysfunction (LVEF <30%), mild and moderate LV dysfunction (LVEF ≥30% to <50%), or preserved LV function (LVEF ≥50%). Major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE: composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischemic attack, and repeat revascularization), and PCI-related complications were assessed at 90 days and mortality was assessed at 1-year.

RESULTS

From March 2017 to March 2020, 940 patients had evaluable baseline LVEF recorded in the study database. Patients with preserved LV function were older, more frequently presented with myocardial infarction, and underwent more left main PCI and atherectomy. Immediate PCI-related coronary complications were infrequent (2.7%, overall), similar between groups (P = 0.98), and not associated with LVEF. Unadjusted 90-day MACCE rates were similar among LVEF groups; however, as a continuous variable, LVEF was associated with both 90-day MACCE (adj.HR per 5% 0.89, 95% CI [0.80, 0.98], P = 0.018) and 1-year mortality (adj.HR per 5% 0.84 [0.78, 0.90], P <0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who underwent pLVAD-supported HRPCI exhibited low incidence of PCI-related complications, regardless of baseline LVEF. However, LVEF was associated with 90-day MACCE and 1-year mortality.

Differential Impact of Fractional Flow Reserve Measured After Coronary Stent Implantation by Left Ventricular Dysfunction

Background

Both left ventricular systolic function and fractional flow reserve (FFR) are prognostic factors after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, how these prognostic factors are inter-related in risk stratification of patients after PCI remains unclarified.

Objectives

This study evaluated differential prognostic implication of post-PCI FFR according to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Methods

A total of 2,965 patients with available LVEF were selected from the POST-PCI FLOW (Prognostic Implications of Physiologic Investigation After Revascularization with Stent) international registry of patients with post-PCI FFR measurement. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac death or target-vessel myocardial infarction (TVMI) at 2 years. The secondary outcome was target-vessel revascularization (TVR) and target vessel failure, which was a composite of cardiac death, TVMI, or TVR.

Results

Post-PCI FFR was independently associated with the risk of target vessel failure (per 0.01 decrease: HRadj: 1.029; 95% CI: 1.009-1.049; P = 0.005). Post-PCI FFR was associated with increased risk of cardiac death or TVMI (HRadj: 1.145; 95% CI: 1.025-1.280; P = 0.017) among patients with LVEF ≤40%, and with that of TVR in patients with LVEF >40% (HRadj: 1.028; 95% CI: 1.005-1.052; P = 0.020). Post-PCI FFR ≤0.80 was associated with increased risk of cardiac death or TVMI in the LVEF ≤40% group and with that of TVR in LVEF >40% group. Prognostic impact of post-PCI FFR for the primary outcome was significantly different according to LVEF (Pinteraction = 0.019).

Conclusions

Post-PCI FFR had differential prognostic impact according to LVEF. Residual ischemia by post-PCI FFR ≤0.80 was a prognostic indicator for cardiac death or TVMI among patients with patients with LVEF ≤40%, and it was associated with TVR among patients with patients with LVEF>40%. (Prognostic Implications of Physiologic Investigation After Revascularization with Stent [POST-PCI FLOW]; NCT04684043).

Intravascular Ultrasound Use in Peripheral Arterial and Deep Venous Interventions: Multidisciplinary Expert Opinion From SCAI/AVF/AVLS/SIR/SVM/SVS

Percutaneous revascularization is the primary strategy for treating lower extremity venous and arterial disease. Angiography is limited by its ability to accurately size vessels, precisely determine the degree of stenosis and length of lesions, characterize lesion morphology, or correctly diagnose postintervention complications. These limitations are overcome with use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). IVUS has demonstrated the ability to improve outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention, and there is increasing evidence to support its benefits in the setting of peripheral vascular intervention. At this stage in its evolution, there remains a need to standardize the use and approach to peripheral vascular IVUS imaging. This manuscript represents considerations and consensus perspectives that emerged from a roundtable discussion including 15 physicians with expertise in interventional cardiology, interventional radiology, and vascular surgery, representing 6 cardiovascular specialty societies, held on February 3, 2023. The roundtable's aims were to assess the current state of lower extremity revascularization, identify knowledge gaps and need for evidence, and determine how IVUS can improve care and outcomes for patients with peripheral arterial and deep venous pathology.

Drug-eluting stents for coronary artery disease in the perspective of bibliometric analysis

Drug-eluting stents (DES) play a crucial role in treating coronary artery disease (CAD) by preventing restenosis. These stents are coated with drug carriers that release antiproliferative drugs within the vessel. Over the past two decades, DES have been employed in clinical practice using various materials, polymers, and drug types. Despite optimizations in their design and materials to enhance biocompatibility and antithrombotic properties, evaluating their long-term efficacy and safety necessitates improved clinical follow-up and monitoring. To delineate future research directions, this study employs a bibliometric analysis approach. We comprehensively surveyed two decades' worth of literature on DES for CAD using the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC). Out of 5,778 articles, we meticulously screened them based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Subsequently, we conducted an in-depth analysis encompassing annual publication trends, authorship affiliations, journal affiliations, keywords, and more. Employing tools such as Excel 2021, CiteSpace 6.2R3, VOSviewer 1.6.19, and Pajek 5.17, we harnessed bibliometric methods to derive insights from this corpus. Analysis of annual publication data indicates a recent stabilisation or even a downward trend in research output in this area. The United States emerged as the leading contributor, with Columbia University and CRF at the forefront in both publication output and citation impact. The most cited document pertained to standardized definitions for clinical endpoints in coronary stent trials. Our author analysis identifies Patrick W. Serruys as the most prolific contributor, underscoring a dynamic exchange of knowledge within the field.Moreover, the dual chart overlay illustrates a close interrelation between journals in the "Medicine," "Medical," and "Clinical" domains and those in "Health," "Nursing," and "Medicine." Frequently recurring keywords in this research landscape include DES coronary artery disease, percutaneous coronary intervention, implantation, and restenosis. This study presents a comprehensive panorama encompassing countries, research institutions, journals, keyword distributions, and contributions within the realm of DES therapy for CAD. By highlighting keywords exhibiting recent surges in frequency, we elucidate current research hotspots and frontiers, thereby furnishing novel insights to guide future researchers in this evolving field.

OPTImized coronary interventions eXplaIn the bEst cliNical outcomEs (OPTI-XIENCE) study. Rationale and study design

INTRODUCTION

Clinical events may occur after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), particularly in complex lesions and complex patients. The optimization of PCI result, using pressure guidewire and intracoronary imaging techniques, may reduce the risk of these events. The hypothesis of the present study is that the clinical outcome of patients with indication of PCI and coronary stent implantation that are at high risk of events can be improved with an unrestricted use of intracoronary tools that allow PCI optimization.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Observational prospective multicenter international study, with a follow-up of 12 months, including 1064 patients treated with a cobalt‑chromium everolimus-eluting stent. Inclusion criteria include any of the following: Lesion length > 28 mm; Reference vessel diameter < 2.5 mm or > 4.25 mm; Chronic total occlusion; Bifurcation with side branch ≥2.0 mm;Ostial lesion; Left main lesion; In-stent restenosis; >2 lesions stented in the same vessel; Treatment of >2 vessels; Acute myocardial infarction; Renal insufficiency; Left ventricular ejection fraction <30 %; Staged procedure. The control group will be comprised by a similar number of matched patients included in the "extended risk" cohort of the XIENCE V USA study. The primary endpoint will be the 1-year rate of target lesion failure (TLF) (composite of ischemia-driven TLR, myocardial infarction (MI) related to the target vessel, or cardiac death related to the target vessel). Secondary endpoints will include overall mortality, cardiovascular mortality, acute myocardial infarction, TVR, TLR, target vessel failure, and definitive or probable stent thrombosis at 1 year.

IMPLICATIONS

The ongoing OPTI-XIENCE study will contribute to the growing evidence supporting the use of intra-coronary imaging techniques for stent optimization in patients with complex coronary lesions.

SCAI Expert Consensus Statement on the Management of Calcified Coronary Lesions

The prevalence of calcification in obstructive coronary artery disease is on the rise. Percutaneous coronary intervention of these calcified lesions is associated with increased short-term and long-term risks. To optimize percutaneous coronary intervention results, there is an expanding array of treatment modalities geared toward calcium modification prior to stent implantation. The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, herein, puts forth an expert consensus document regarding methods to identify types of calcified coronary lesions, a central algorithm to help guide use of the various calcium modification strategies, tips for when using each treatment modality, and a look at future studies and trials for treating this challenging lesion subset.

Cardiac Optical Coherence Tomography: History, Current Status, and Perspective

For more than 2 decades since the first imaging procedure was performed in a living patient, intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT), with its unprecedented image resolution, has made significant contributions to cardiovascular medicine in the realms of vascular biology research and percutaneous coronary intervention. OCT has contributed to a better understanding of vascular biology by providing insights into the pathobiology of atherosclerosis, including plaque phenotypes and the underlying mechanisms of acute coronary syndromes such as plaque erosion, neoatherosclerosis, stent thrombosis, and myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries. Moreover, OCT has been used as an adjunctive imaging tool to angiography for the guidance of percutaneous coronary intervention procedures to optimize outcomes. However, broader application of OCT has faced challenges, including subjective interpretation of the images and insufficient clinical outcome data. Future developments including artificial intelligence-assisted interpretation, multimodality catheters, and micro-OCT, as well as large prospective outcome studies could broaden the impact of OCT on cardiovascular medicine.

Intravascular ultrasound-guided versus angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention in unprotected left main coronary artery disease: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Significant unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease is encountered in approximately 5 % of patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) overcomes many of the known limitations of angiography and improves outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in stable or complex coronary artery disease. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the evidence on IVUS-guidance versus angiography-guidance in ULMCA PCI, highlighting the chronological frequencies of event rates in line with the maturation of PCI technique and devices over time.

METHODS

A comprehensive systematic search in Medline was performed to identify all studies that had assessed the effect of IVUS-guided versus angiography-guided ULMCA PCI on various primary and secondary endpoints.

RESULTS

Seventeen studies (2 randomized, 10 non-randomized and 5 meta-analyses) were included in this systematic review.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review on IVUS-guided versus angiography-guided PCI in patients with significant ULMCA disease strongly supports the hypothesis that IVUS-guided PCI is associated with a significant reduction in major adverse cardiac events composites, all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction and stent thrombosis. Ongoing, adequately powered trials will contribute significantly to the level of evidence.

Guiding Intervention for Complex Coronary Lesions by Optical Coherence Tomography or Intravascular Ultrasound

BACKGROUND

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) have shown comparable outcomes in guiding percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, their comparative effectiveness in complex coronary artery lesions remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES

This study compared the effectiveness and safety of OCT-guided vs IVUS-guided PCI for complex coronary artery lesions.

METHODS

This was a prespecified, main subgroup analysis of complex coronary artery lesions in the OCTIVUS (Optical Coherence Tomography Versus Intravascular Ultrasound Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) trial, which included unprotected left main disease, bifurcation disease, an aorto-ostial lesion, a chronic total occlusion, a severely calcified lesion, an in-stent restenotic lesion, a diffuse long lesion, or multivessel PCI. The primary endpoint was a composite of death from cardiac causes, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization.

RESULTS

In 2,008 randomized patients, 1,475 (73.5%) underwent imaging-guided PCI for complex coronary artery lesions; 719 (48.7%) received OCT-guided and 756 (51.3%) IVUS-guided PCI. At a median follow-up of 2.0 years, primary endpoint event had occurred in 47 patients (6.5%) in the OCT-guided group and in 56 patients (7.4%) in the IVUS-guided group (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.59-1.29; P = 0.50). These findings were consistent in adjusted analyses. The incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy was similar between the 2 groups (1.9% vs 1.5%; P = 0.46). The incidence of major procedural complications was lower in the OCT-guided group than in the IVUS-guided group (1.7% vs 3.4%; P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with complex coronary artery lesions, OCT-guided PCI showed a similar risk of primary composite event of death from cardiac causes, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization as compared with IVUS-guided PCI. (Optical Coherence Tomography Versus Intravascular Ultrasound Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention [OCTIVUS]; NCT03394079).

Intravascular Imaging-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Before and After Standardized Optimization Protocols

BACKGROUND

Although benefits of intravascular imaging (IVI) in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have been observed in previous studies, it is not known whether changes in contemporary practice, especially with application of standardized optimization protocols, have improved clinical outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

The authors sought to investigate whether clinical outcomes of IVI-guided PCI are different before and after the application of standardized optimization protocols in using IVI.

METHODS

2,972 patients from an institutional registry (2008-2015, before application of standardized optimization protocols, the past group) and 1,639 patients from a recently published trial (2018-2021 after application of standardized optimization protocols, the present group) were divided into 2 groups according to use of IVI. The primary outcome was 3-year target vessel failure (TVF), a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization.

RESULTS

Significant reduction of TVF was observed in the IVI-guided PCI group compared with the angiography-guided PCI group (10.0% vs 6.7%; HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.61-0.97; P = 0.027), mainly driven by reduced cardiac death or myocardial infarction in both past and present IVI-guided PCI groups. When comparing past IVI and present IVI groups, TVF was significantly lower in the present IVI group (8.5% vs 5.1%; HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.42-0.94; P = 0.025), with the difference being driven by reduced target vessel revascularization in the present IVI group. Consistent results were observed in inverse-probability-weighting adjusted analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

IVI-guided PCI improved clinical outcomes more than angiography-guided PCI. In addition, application of standardized optimization protocols when using IVI further improved clinical outcomes after PCI. (Intravascular Imaging- Versus Angiography-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention For Complex Coronary Artery Disease [RENOVATE-COMPLEX-PCI]; NCT03381872; and the institutional cardiovascular catheterization database of Samsung Medical Center: Long-Term Outcomes and Prognostic Factors in Patient Undergoing CABG or PCI; NCT03870815).

Intravascular Imaging-Guided Versus Angiography-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

BACKGROUND

Despite the initial evidence supporting the utility of intravascular imaging to guide percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), adoption remains low. Recent new trial data have become available. An updated study-level meta-analysis comparing intravascular imaging to angiography to guide PCI was performed. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of intravascular imaging-guided PCI compared with angiography-guided PCI.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A random-effects meta-analysis was performed on the basis of the intention-to-treat principle. The primary outcomes were major adverse cardiac events, cardiac death, and all-cause death. Mixed-effects meta-regression was performed to investigate the impact of complex PCI on the primary outcomes. A total of 16 trials with 7814 patients were included. The weighted mean follow-up duration was 28.8 months. Intravascular imaging led to a lower risk of major adverse cardiac events (relative risk [RR], 0.67 [95% CI, 0.55-0.82]; P<0.001), cardiac death (RR, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.34-0.71]; P<0.001), stent thrombosis (RR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.40-0.99]; P=0.046), target-lesion revascularization (RR, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.49-0.91]; P=0.01), and target-vessel revascularization (RR, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.45-0.80]; P<0.001). In complex lesion subsets, the point estimate for imaging-guided PCI compared with angiography-guided PCI for all-cause death was a RR of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.55-1.02; P=0.07).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients undergoing PCI, intravascular imaging is associated with reductions in major adverse cardiac events, cardiac death, stent thrombosis, target-lesion revascularization, and target-vessel revascularization. The magnitude of benefit is large and consistent across all included studies. There may also be benefits in all-cause death, particularly in complex lesion subsets. These results support the use of intravascular imaging as standard of care and updates of clinical guidelines.

Role of Integrated Intracoronary Imaging to Identify Surgical Clip as a Trigger for ACS-NSTE

An 80-year-old post-coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patient had an acute coronary syndrome with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (ACS-NSTE) with saphenous vein graft (SVG)-obtuse marginal stenosis. High-definition intravascular ultrasound revealed an underexpanded SVG stent with a hyperechoic structure. Optical coherence tomography confirmed surgical clip causing compression, resolved by post-dilation. This case underscores ACS-NSTE complexity post-CABG and the critical role of coronary imaging in optimizing interventions by addressing surgical clip-induced compression.

Two-year results from Onyx ONE clear in patients with high bleeding risk on one-month DAPT with and without intracoronary imaging

BACKGROUND

Patients with high bleeding risk (HBR) are often treated with abbreviated dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to reduce bleeding risk, however this strategy is associated with an increase in ischemic events, especially if the acute PCI result is suboptimal. We compared clinical outcomes among patients with HBR treated with 1-month DAPT who underwent intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)- or optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided PCI versus those who underwent angiography-guided PCI without intravascular imaging.

METHODS

The Onyx ONE Clear study includes patients with HBR from the Onyx ONE US/Japan and Onyx ONE randomized studies who were treated with the Resolute Onyx zotarolimus-eluting stent. The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiac death (CD) or myocardial infarction (MI) between 1 month and 2 years after PCI. Propensity-score adjustments and matching were performed for differences in baseline and procedural characteristics between groups.

RESULTS

Among the 1507 patients in Onyx ONE Clear, 271 (18.0 %) had IVUS or OCT used during PCI (Imaging-guided group) and 1236 (82.0 %) underwent Angiography-guided PCI (Angio-guided group). Imaging-guided patients were less likely to present with atrial fibrillation, acute coronary syndrome, and left ventricle ejection fraction ≤35 %. Conversely, Imaging-guided patients were more likely to have complex (ACC/AHA type B2/C), longer, and heavily calcified lesions. Between 1 month and 2 years, the composite rate of CD or MI was similar between Imaging-guided and Angio-guided patients (9.9 % vs. 12.4 %, P = 0.33). There was also no difference between groups after adjustment; (P = 0.56). However, CD was significantly lower among Imaging-guided patients (2.7 % vs. 6.1 %, P = 0.048). There were no between-group differences in MI or stent thrombosis. Propensity score matching results were similar.

CONCLUSION

Despite higher lesion complexity, using intravascular imaging guidance for PCI between 1-month and 2-years follow-up had comparable outcomes with angiographic guidance alone in patients with HBR treated with 1-month DAPT. (ClinicalTrials.gov: Identifier: NCT03647475 and NCT03344653).

NON-STANDARD ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

BARC: Bleeding Academic Research Consortium; DAPT: dual antiplatelet therapy; DES: drug-eluting stent; HBR: high bleeding risk; IVUS: intravascular ultrasound; OCT: optical coherence tomography; SAPT: single antiplatelet therapy.