Filter-based embolic protection device in saphenous vein graft percutaneous intervention: A case report

Saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) are commonly used in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients. However, SVGs are prone to degradation and occlusion, resulting in poor long-term patency. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for SVG has been one of the options to treat SVGs disease despite its challenges. Embolic protection device (EPD) use along with proper stent and medications are considered to minimize complications in this procedure. A 61-year-old man, with 4-vessel coronary artery bypass using SVGs and left internal mammary artery (LIMA) 11 years ago, presented with chest pain for more than 3 months. Coronary angiography showed severe stenosis of the SVG to PDA with two lesions, chronic total occlusion in SVG to OM and LIMA to LAD, with patent SVG to D1. He was admitted for elective PCI using drug-eluting stents and distal embolic filter. There were no problems observed, and the procedure was completed with successful stenting in SVG to PDA without any complications. The patient was discharged on dual-antiplatelet therapy along with his previous medication history. PCI is preferred over repeated CABG in high-risk patients, and EPD should be considered whenever technically possible to minimize the risk of distal embolization and thereby improve outcomes in SVG PCI.

Complications and failure modes of coronary embolic protection devices: Insights from the MAUDE database

BACKGROUND

There is limited data on complications associated with the use of coronary embolic protection devices (EPDs).

METHODS

We queried the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database between November 2010 and November 2020 for reports on coronary EPDs: Spider FX (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) and Filterwire EZ (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA).

RESULTS

We retrieved 119 reports on coronary EPD failure (Spider FX n = 33 and Filterwire EZ n = 86), most of which (78.2%) occurred during saphenous vein graft interventions. The most common failure mode was inability to retrieve the EPD (49.6%), with the filter trapped against stent struts in 76.2% of the cases. Other device complications included filter fracture (28.6%), failure to cross (7.6%), failure to deploy (7.6%), and failure to recapture the filter (3.4%). Filter fracture (54.5 vs. 29.1%) and failure to recapture (9.1 vs. 2.1%) were more commonly reported, while failure to deploy the filter (0 vs. 10.5%) was less commonly reported with the Spider-FX.

CONCLUSIONS

The most common modes of failure of coronary EPDs are the failure of retrieval (49.6%), followed by the filter fracture (28.6%). When using EPDs, careful attention to the technique is essential to avoid failures and subsequent complications.

Safety and Efficacy of Embolic Protection Devices in Saphenous Vein Graft Interventions: A Propensity Score Analysis-Multicenter SVG PCI PROTECTA Study

Background: Evidence concerning the efficacy of the embolic protection devices (EPDs) in saphenous vein graft (SVG) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is sparse. The study was designed to compare major cardiovascular events of all-comer population of SVG PCI with and without EPDs at one year of follow-up. Methods and results: A multi-center registry comparing PCI with and without EPDs in consecutive patients undergoing PCI of SVG. The group comprised 792 patients, among which 266 (33.6%) had myocardial infarction (MI). The primary composite endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) defined as death, MI, target vessel revascularization (TVR), and stroke assessed at one year. After propensity score analysis, there were no differences in MACCE (21.9% vs. 23.9%; HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.57–1.45, p = 0.681, respectively) nor in secondary endpoints of death, MI, TVR, target lesion revascularization (TLR) and stroke at one year in EPDs PCI group vs. no-EPDs PCI group. Similarly, there were no differences between groups in the study endpoints at 30 days follow-up. Conclusions: There were no clinical benefit for routine use of EPDs during SVG PCI in short and long-term follow-up. Further studies are warranted to explore the effect of individual types of EPDs on clinical outcomes.

Optical Coherence Tomography of De Novo Lesions and In-Stent Restenosis in Coronary Saphenous Vein Grafts (OCTOPUS Study)

BACKGROUND

The OCTOPUS registry prospectively evaluates the procedural and long-term outcomes of saphenous vein graft (SVG) PCI. The current study assessed the morphology of de novo lesions and in-stent restenosis (ISR) in patients undergoing PCI of SVG.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) of SVG lesions in consecutive patients presenting with stable CAD and ACS was carried out. Thirty-nine patients (32 de novo and 10 ISR lesions) were included in the registry. ISR occurred in 5 BMS and 5 DES. There were no differences in the presence of plaque rupture and thrombus between de novo lesions and ISR. Lipid-rich tissue was identified in both de novo lesions and in ISR (75% vs. 50%, P=0.071) with a higher prevalence in BMS than in DES (23% vs. 7.5%; P=0.048). Calcific de novo lesions were detected in older grafts as compared with non-calcific atheromas (159±57 vs. 90±62 months after CABG, P=0.001). Heterogeneous neointima was found only in ISR (70% vs. 0, P<0.001) and was observed with similar frequency in both BMS and DES (24% vs. 30%, P=0.657). ISR was detected earlier in DES than BMS (median, 50 months; IQR, 18-96 months vs. 27 months; IQR, 13-29 months, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

OCT-based characteristics of de novo and ISR lesions in SVG were similar except for heterogeneous tissue, which was observed only in ISR. (Circ J 2016; 80: 1804-1811).

Drug-eluting versus bare metal stent in treatment of patients with saphenous vein graft disease: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Drug-eluting stent (DES) and bare metal stent (BMS) are effective treatments for preventing vascular disease, but whether using DES is associated with positive clinical outcomes compared with BMS in patients with saphenous vein graft disease (SVGD) has not been established. Three electronic databases including PubMed, EmBase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify potentially includible studies. We did a random-effects meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to obtain summary effect estimates for the clinical outcomes with the use of relative risk calculated from the raw data of individual trial. Among 812 patients from 4 RCTs, DES was associated with lower risk of short-term major cardiovascular events (MACEs) when compared with BMS, whereas no significant effect on the risk of long-term MACEs. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between DES and BMS for short-term myocardial infarction (MI) and long-term MI. Similarly, DES was not associated with risk of short- and long-term mortality risk as compared with BMS. In addition, DES has no significant effect on the risk of cardiac death and stent thrombosis. Finally, DES therapy significantly reduced the risk of TLR, TVF, and TVR. SVGD patients received DES can minimize the risk of short-term MACEs, TLR, TVF, and TVR when compared with BMS. However, it does not effect on the incidence of long-term MACEs, MI, mortality, cardiac death, and stent thrombosis.

Embolic Protection Devices for Saphenous Vein Graft Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

Saphenous vein graft (SVG) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) are associated with adverse clinical events caused by distal embolization in 10% to 20% of cases. Various embolic protection devices (EPDs) have been developed to lower the risk of distal embolization during SVG PCI: distal balloon occlusive devices, distal embolic filters, and proximal balloon occlusive devices. Despite evidence for improved outcomes and cost-effectiveness, rates of national EPD use remain low, the main cause of underutilization being operator preference. With increasing familiarity of operators with EPDs, their use should continue to increase in SVG PCI and lead to better outcomes.

Secondary revascularization after CABG surgery

CABG surgery is an effective way to improve symptoms and prognosis in patients with advanced coronary atherosclerotic disease. Despite multiple improvements in surgical technique and patient treatment, graft failure after CABG surgery occurs in a time-dependent fashion, particularly in the second decade after the intervention, in a substantial number of patients because of atherosclerotic progression and saphenous-vein graft (SVG) disease. Until 2010, repeat revascularization by either percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or surgical techniques was performed in these high-risk patients in the absence of specific recommendations in clinical practice guidelines, and within a culture of inadequate communication between cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists. Indeed, some of the specific technologies developed to reduce procedural risk, such as embolic protection devices for SVG interventions, are largely underused. Additionally, the implementation of secondary prevention, which reduces the need for reintervention in these patients, is still suboptimal. In this Review, graft failure after CABG surgery is examined as a clinical problem from the perspective of holistic patient management. Issues such as the substrate and epidemiology of graft failure, the choice of revascularization modality, the specific problems inherent in repeat CABG surgery and PCI, and the importance of secondary prevention are discussed.

Paclitaxel-eluting stents reduce neointimal hyperplasia compared to bare metal stents in saphenous vein grafts: intravascular ultrasonography analysis of the SOS (Stenting of Saphenous Vein Grafts) trial

AIMS

To compare the intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) findings between saphenous vein grafts (SVG) treated with paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) vs. bare metal stents (BMS) in the Stenting Of Saphenous Vein Grafts (SOS) trial.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Of the 80 SOS trial patients, 38 had both baseline and follow-up IVUS examination and were included in this substudy: 17 patients received 28 BMS in 26 lesions and 21 patients received 30 PES in 28 lesions. Quantitative IVUS analysis was performed to determine the volume of in-stent neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) - defined as the difference between stent volume and lumen volume in the stented segments. Baseline characteristics were similar between patients who did and did not undergo baseline and follow-up IVUS. Patients receiving BMS and PES had similar stent and lumen volumes immediately after stenting. At 12-month follow-up, compared to BMS, PES-treated lesions had significantly less NIH volume (3.4 vs. 21.9 mm³, p<0.001) and neointima hyperplasia progression (1.6 vs. 17.1 mm³, p<0.001). No significant differences were seen in the 5 mm segment proximal and distal to the stent.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to BMS, use of PES in SVG lesions is associated with significantly lower NIH formation, which may help explain the improved clinical outcomes with PES in these lesions.

Long-term clinical outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention in grafts vs native vessels in patients with previous coronary artery bypass grafting

BACKGROUND

The long-term clinical outcome of patients with previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not clear.

METHODS

Observational, retrospective study of post-CABG patients, who underwent PCI in either a graft or a native vessel.

RESULTS

Out of 221 consecutive patients, those with PCI in both native vessel and graft (N=16) and missing follow-up data (N=15) were excluded. Out of the remaining 190 patients (age 67.9±9.6 years; 90.0% men), the graft-PCI group (N=88) had more occluded native vessels (2.1±0.8 vs 1.6±0.8; P<0.001), and fewer totally occluded grafts (0.55±0.6 vs 0.75±0.8; P=0.05) compared with the native vessel-PCI group (N=102). On follow-up (median duration 28 months), the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), cardiac death, and repeat revascularization was higher in graft-PCI group compared with native vessel-PCI group (43.2% vs 19.6%, log-rank P<0.001; 19.3% vs 6.9%, log-rank P=0.008; and 23.9% vs 12.7%, log-rank P=0.02, respectively). Graft-PCI was independently associated with higher risk for major adverse cardiac events (hazard ratio [HR], 2.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45-5.57; P=0.002), cardiac death (HR, 3.44; 95% CI, 1.16-10.22; P=0.03) and repeat revascularization (HR, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.02-5.72; P=0.046).

CONCLUSIONS

Post-CABG patients, undergoing graft compared with native vessel-PCI, have worse long-term clinical outcome. Prospective studies are needed to elucidate the optimal revascularization strategy for such patients.