Extended follow-up following “full-metal jacket” percutaneous coronary interventions with drug-eluting stents

Full-metal jacket technique using second-generation drug-eluting stent: clinical and angiographic follow-up in 2 years

The aims of this study are to evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using full-metal jacket (FMJ) with second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES). A single-center, non-randomized, retrospective study was performed from May 2005 to February 2014 at Miyazaki Medical Association Hospital, Japan. PCI using FMJ with DES was performed to treat 240 very long lesions (> 60 mm) in 240 patients. Subjects were divided into a first-generation or second-generation DES group. The primary endpoint was the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 2 years. MACE included all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), cerebrovascular event, and target vessel revascularization. The secondary endpoint was binary restenosis (> 50% stenosis) assessed by angiography at 1 year of follow-up. Second-generation DES were implanted to treat 121 lesions, and the first-generation DES were implanted to treat 119 lesions. Since 35 patients were lost to follow-up, the final analysis included 102 patients with second-generation DES and 103 with first-generation DES. At the 2-year follow-up, the incidence of MACE was significantly less in the second-generation DES group (9.8% vs. 20.4%, p = 0.03). The incidence of binary restenosis at 1 year was also significantly lower in the second-generation DES group (6.7% vs 29.1%, p < 0.01). When PCI was performed using FMJ with DES to treat very long lesion, the angiographic and clinical outcomes were better with second-generation than first-generation DES.

Hybrid metal/scaffold-jacket versus full-metal jackets in left anterior descending coronary artery diffuse disease: Differences in radiation exposure and fluoroscopic/procedural times

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Bioabsorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) are made from a radiolucent material. Their multiple implantations on a single long diffused segment requires a specific technique with imaging magnification, which could cause an increase in dose delivered during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure. We aimed to identify differences in radiation dose, fluoroscopy and procedural times in Hybrid DES+ multiple BVS (Absorb, Abbott Inc., USA) implantation (hybrid metal/scaffold jacket) versus multiple III generation Drug-eluting stents (DES) (full-metal jacket) in patients with long and diffuse coronary artery disease of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery.

METHODS/MATERIALS

Patients with long and diffuse LAD disease were enrolled in a registry from 1st February 2015 to 1st February 2017. Patients treated with hybrid DES/BVS (at least three) jacket (n=72 procedure) were compared with a 2:1 matched cohort of exclusive multiple overlapped DES (full-metal jacket) patients in the same period (n=114 procedures).

RESULTS

Patients had similar baseline characteristics due to matching. Radiation exposure (6035.7±2846.8 vs 4251.1±1787.3cGy∗cm², p<0.0001, Δ=1784.5±1055.6), fluoroscopy time (16.2±4.5 vs 9.1±2.4, p<0.0001) and procedure time (64.2±18.5 vs 5 8.7±13.5, p=0.02) were higher in patients treated using hybrid metal/scaffold jacket compared that regular full-metal jacket.

CONCLUSION

The use of hybrid metal/scaffold jacket for the treatment of long and diffuse disease of LAD is associated with a higher fluoroscopy time and radiation exposure compared to full-metal jacket, quantifiable in approximately 35%.

Comparison of mid-term clinical outcomes between "complete full-metal jacket strategy" versus "incomplete full-metal jacket strategy" for diffuse right coronary artery stenosis with drug-eluting stents

BACKGROUND

The optimal strategy for diffuse right coronary artery (RCA) stenosis remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to compare the mid-term outcomes of "complete full-metal jacket (c-FMJ) stenting strategy" with "incomplete full-metal jacket (i-FMJ) stenting strategy" for the diffuse long RCA lesion using drug-eluting stents (DES).

METHODS

Between July 2007 and October 2015, 121 patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for diffuse RCA lesions using DES. Fifty-three patients underwent c-FMJ PCI, whereas 68 patients underwent i-FMJ. Thirty patients received angiographical follow-up in the c-FMJ group, while 34 patients received angiographical follow-up in the i-FMJ group. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE): cardiac death, stent thrombosis (ST), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and target vessel revascularization (TVR).

RESULTS

The incidence of MACE was significantly lower in the c-FMJ group (13.3%) as compared to the i-FMJ group (41.2%) (p=0.013). There was no cardiac death in either group. The incidence of ST was comparable between the i-FMJ group (2.9%) and c-FMJ group (3.3%) (p=1.00), while TLR was significantly less in the c-FMJ group (6.7%) compared to the i-FMJ group (32.4%) (p=0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

The mid-term MACE was significantly less in the c-FMJ group than in the i-FMJ group, indicating that c-FMJ stenting was a favorable strategy for the diffuse long RCA lesion.

Ivabradine in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease: A Rationale for Use in Addition to and Beyond Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Heart rate is an established prognostic marker for longevity and is an important contributor in the pathophysiology of various cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease and heart failure. Most ischemic episodes are triggered by an increase in heart rate, which causes an imbalance between myocardial oxygen delivery and consumption. In addition, increased heart rate is a modifiable risk factor for chronic heart failure. Ivabradine, an inhibitor of I_f ion channels, is an approved second-line anti-ischemic drug for the treatment of angina. Ivabradine has been shown to decrease the risk of hospitalization in patients with chronic heart failure who were previously treated with β-blockers, renin-angiotensin system blockers or mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. This review describes the rationale for the pathophysiological and clinical use of ivabradine as an anti-ischemic agent in patients with stable coronary disease and highlights its benefits and drawbacks compared with other first- and second-line anti-anginal drugs. The review also highlights the role of ivabradine as a treatment for patients with high-risk coronary artery disease in whom first-line anti-anginal drugs are insufficient or inadequate and percutaneous coronary intervention is contraindicated or revascularization is incomplete or unsuitable.

Comparison of mid-term clinical outcomes between on-label and off-label use of rotational atherectomy

While rotational atherectomy (RA) is used for complex lesions in percutaneous coronary intervention, there are several contraindications such as unprotected left main stenosis or left ventricular dysfunction. We previously reported that the incidence of in-hospital complications was significantly greater in off-label as compared to on-label use RA. However, the mid-term clinical outcomes between off-label and on-label RA have not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to compare the mid-term clinical outcomes between off-label (n = 156) and on-label RA (n = 94). The primary endpoint was the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) defined as the composite of ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization (TVR), non-fatal MI, and all-cause death. We also identified 154 patients who underwent RA and follow-up angiography within 1 year, and compared quantitative coronary analysis between the off-label group (n = 96) and on-label group (n = 58). There was no significant difference in late luminal loss between the groups (0.03 ± 0.53 mm in the off-label and -0.05 ± 0.44 mm in the on-label groups, P = 0.57). However, the incidence of MACE was less in the on-label group (3.2 %) as compared to the off-label group (9.0 %) without reaching statistical significance (P = 0.08). In conclusion, mid-term clinical outcomes tended to be worse in the off-label group than in the on-label group. We may have to follow-up the patient who underwent off-label RA more carefully than the patient who underwent on-label RA.

Long term follow-up of "full metal jacket" of de novo coronary lesions with new generation Zotarolimus-eluting stents

BACKGROUND

Diffuse coronary artery disease treatment still remains a challenge for interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. There are few data on full metal jacket (FMJ) stenting, especially with new-generation drug-eluting stents. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of FMJ with new-generation Zotarolimus-eluting stents (n-ZES).

METHODS AND RESULTS

All patients who underwent FMJ with n-ZES (≥60mm stent length) in eleven Italian interventional centers participating in the Clinical Service® project were included in this analysis. The project population consisted of 120 patients and 122 lesions. Mean age was 67±10years and 95 (79.2%) patients were male. A chronic total occlusion was present in 34 lesions (27.9%). The number of stents implanted per lesion was 2.9±0.8, and the diameter of the stents was 3.0±0.5mm. Predilation and post-dilatation were performed in 107 (87.7%) and 92 (75.4%) patients, respectively. At 41±21month follow-up there were 2 patients with subacute definite stent thrombosis, 6 patients (5.0%) had cardiac death and 5 patients (4.2%) had non-fatal myocardial infarction. Seven patients (5.8%) underwent clinically-driven target lesion revascularization. Fourteen patients (11.7%) had at least one major adverse cardiac event.

CONCLUSION

The treatment of diffuse coronary artery disease with FMJ stenting with n-ZES appears to be effective and safe. Late and very-late ST does not seem to be an issue and the rate of restenosis and of major cardiac adverse events after more than 3-year follow-up is rather low.

Edge-to-Edge Technique to Minimize Ovelapping of Multiple Bioresorbable Scaffolds Plus Drug Eluting Stents in Revascularization of Long Diffuse Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery Disease

BACKGROUND

Implantation of Drug Eluting Stents (DES) plus bioresorbable scaffolds (BVS) in very long diffuse left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) disease may be problematic because of multiple devices overlapping. We sought to assess the short and mid-tern outcomes of combined implantation of DES and BVS using a novel "edge-to-edge" technique in patients with diffuse LAD disease.

METHODS

Patients with long diffuse LAD disease were enrolled in a prospective registry from 1st August 2014 to 1st August 2015 and treated with IVUS-aided percutaneous coronary intervention using a DES plus a single or multiple BVS using a novel "edge-to-edge" technique. Clinical follow up and invasive follow up driven by clinical justification was performed.

RESULTS

Twenty-three patients (5 females, mean age 59.1± 9.1 years) were enrolled. Mean length of LAD disease was 73.1 ± 20.6 mm. Mean number of DES and BVS implanted was 1.2 ± 0.4 and 1.7 ± 1.3, respectively. At a mean follow-up of 11.3 ± 3.8 months, no stent thrombosis or MACE were observed. Angiographic and IVUS follow-up at a mean of 6.6 ± 0.7 months showed no significant angiographic restenosis and no appreciable stent gaps.

CONCLUSIONS

In revascularization of long diffuse disease of the LAD, the edge-to-edge implantation technique appears to be feasible resulting in no restenosis or thrombosis on the short-term follow-up. (J Interven Cardiol 2016;29:275-284).

Impact of total stent length after cobalt chromium everolimus-eluting stent implantation on 3-year clinical outcomes

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to assess whether total stent length (TSL) after cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stent (CoCr-EES) implantation was associated with long-term clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND

The impact of TSL after CoCr-EES implantation on long-term clinical outcomes remained unclear.

METHODS

A total of 1,007 consecutive patients with 1,382 lesions treated only with CoCr-EES were analyzed. Patients and lesions were divided into tertile group: TSL per patient (TSL-P) (PA [8-23 mm], n = 382; PB [23-46 mm], n = 312; and PC [46-204 mm], n = 313), and TSL per lesion (TSL-L) (LA [8-18 mm], n = 486; LB [18-28 mm], n = 475; and LC [28-140 mm], n = 421). The cumulative 3-year incidence of clinically driven target-lesion revascularization (CD-TLR) and definite stent thrombosis (ST) based on TSL-P and TSL-L groupings were accessed.

RESULTS

After inverse probability of weighted adjustment, the cumulative 3-year incidence of CD-TLR for the TSL-P and TSL-L were higher in the PC and LC groups than in the other groups (hazard ratio [HR] 2.92, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.66-5.15, P < 0.001 vs. PA; HR 2.49, 95% CI 1.47-4.20, P < 0.001 vs. PB; HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.15-3.28, P = 0.01 vs. LA; HR 2.80, 95% CI 1.73-4.54, P < 0.001 vs. LB, respectively). No significant differences in the cumulative 3-year incidence of definite ST were observed in both TSL-P and TSL-L groups.

CONCLUSIONS

TSL after CoCr-EES implantation has significantly impact on CD-TLR rate through 3 years, but it is not associated with an increased incidence of definite ST. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Outcomes and computed tomography scan follow-up of bioresorbable vascular scaffold for the percutaneous treatment of chronic total coronary artery occlusion

Everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation in chronic total occlusion (CTO) could provide theoretical advantages at follow-up compared with metallic stents. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of BVS use for the percutaneous treatment of CTO by analyzing clinical outcomes and patency at midterm follow-up. From February 2013 to June 2014, 42 patients with 46 CTOs were treated by BVS implantation. Once the guidewire reached the distal lumen, all the occluded segments were predilated. Postdilation was performed in all patients. A multislice computed tomography was scheduled for all patients at 6 months. The mean age was 58 ± 9 years, 41 (98%) were men and 14 (33%) diabetic. The target vessel was predominantly the left anterior descending artery (22, 48%). According to the Japanese-CTO score, 21 CTOs (46%) were difficult or very difficult. Most cases were treated with an anterograde strategy (34 lesions, 74%). A hybrid procedure with a drug-eluting stent at the distal segment was the applied treatment in 7 CTOs (15%). The mean scaffold length was 43 ± 21 mm. Technical success was achieved in 45 lesions (98%), and 1 patient (2.4%) presented a non-Q periprocedural myocardial infarction. Re-evaluation was obtained in all patients at 6 ± 1 months. Two re-occlusions and a focal restenosis were identified. After 13 ± 5 months of follow-up, there were 2 repeat revascularizations (4.8%). Neither death nor myocardial infarction was documented. In conclusion, BVS for CTO seems to be an interesting strategy with a high rate of technical success and low rate of cardiac events at midterm follow-up in selected patients.