Serial Angiographic Follow-Up of Sirolimus-Eluting Stents for Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Revascularization

Overcoming Technical Complexities in Late Coronary Stent Thrombosis: A Clinical Report

Complex bifurcation lesions often requiring a two-stent revascularization approach mean more metal, a higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, and added difficulties in the case of late complications, such as in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis. In this article, we report a case of late stent thrombosis in a 56-year-old patient who had left main (LM) and left anterior descending (LAD) left circumflex arteries with T and small protrusion technique percutaneous intervention (PCI) one year before her admission with hemodynamic compromise and no access to urgent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We discuss challenging and high-risk PCI with limited resources, and the result was satisfactory with a favorable outcome. Stent thrombosis, a critical and life-threatening complication of PCI, frequently manifests with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, carrying a high mortality risk. Known risk factors for stent thrombosis include stent underexpansion, inadequate lesion preparation, complex percutaneous procedures, and early discontinuation of dual antiplatelet therapy. The choice of revascularization strategy is crucial, particularly for patients with extensive coronary artery disease, where surgery allows for a more complete revascularization. Coronary angioplasty is a pleasing and less invasive technique, but it requires proper lesion preparation, optimization of stent deployment through intracoronary imaging, post-dilation, and, most importantly, adherence and proper use of antithrombotic treatment following guidelines and medical therapy, which remains the cornerstone of managing ischemic heart disease.

Dynamic assessment of the left main-left circumflex bending angle: Implications for ostial left circumflex artery in-stent restenosis after successful two-stent PCI

BACKGROUND

Two-stent techniques for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on left main (LM) bifurcation (LMB) lesions are associated with an increased risk of in-stent restenosis (ISR) at left circumflex artery (LCx) ostium but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. This study sought to investigate the association between cyclic change of LM-LCx bending angle (BA_LM-LCx) and the risk of ostial LCx ISR following two-stent techniques.

METHODS

In a retrospective cohort of patients undergoing two-stent PCI for LMB lesions, BA_LM-LCx and distal bifurcation angle (DBA) were computed with 3-dimensional angiographic reconstruction. The analysis was performed both at end-diastole and end-systole, and the angulation change throughout the cardiac cycle was defined as the cardiac motion-induced angulation change (∆_CAngle).

RESULTS

A total of 101 patients were included. The mean pre-procedural BA_LM-LCx was 66.8 ± 16.1° at end-diastole and 54.1 ± 13.3° at end-systole with a range of 13.0 ± 7.7°. Pre-procedural ∆_CBA_LM-LCx > 16.4° was the most relevant predictor of ostial LCx ISR (adjusted OR 11.58, 95% CI 4.04-33.19; p < 0.001). Post-procedural ∆_CBA_LM-LCx > 9.8° and stent-induced diastolic BA_LM-LCx change > 11.6° were also related with ostial LCx ISR. DBA was positively correlated with BA_LM-LCx and showed a weaker association of pre-procedural ∆_CDBA > 14.5° with ostial LCx ISR (adjusted OR 6.87, 95% CI 2.57-18.37; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Three-dimensional angiographic bending angle is a feasible and reproducible novel method for LMB angulation measurement. A large pre-procedural cyclic change of BA_LM-LCx was associated with an increased risk of ostial LCx ISR following two-stent techniques.

Management of failed stenting of the unprotected left main coronary artery

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is increasingly accepted as treatment for unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease especially in those patients who are unsuitable for cardiac surgery. Treatment of any stent failure is associated with increased complexity and worse clinical outcomes when compared with de novo lesion revascularization. Intracoronary imaging has provided new insight into mechanisms of stent failure and treatment options have developed considerably over the last decade. There is paucity of evidence on the management strategy for stent failure in the specific setting of ULMCA. Treating any left main with PCI requires careful consideration and consequently treatment of failed stents in ULMCA is complex and provides unique challenges. Consequently, we provide an overview of ULMCA stent failure, proposing a tailored algorithm to guide best management and decision in daily clinical practice, with a special focus on intracoronary imaging characterization of causal mechanisms and specific technical and procedural considerations.

[Angioplasty of the unprotected left main trunk: short and medium term outcomes]

Introduction

Notre but était de déterminer le devenir des patients traités par angioplastie du tronc commun non protégé de l'artère coronaire gauche.

Méthodes

Une étude rétrospective a porté sur tous les patients traités par angioplastie du tronc commun non protégé de la coronaire gauche entre janvier 2004 et juin 2009. Les données cliniques et angiographiques ont été recueillies sur les dossiers médicaux, complétées par un entretien téléphonique avec le patient ou ses médecins.

Résultats

Quarante-huit patients d'âge moyen de 68,50±14,06 ans ont été inclus. Les syndromes coronariens aigus étaient le principal motif d'admission (75%). Les lésions du tronc étaient distales (77,1%) et pluritronculaires (64,6%). Un stent nu a été implanté chez 73% des patients. Après un suivi moyen de 22 mois, le taux d'événements cardiovasculaires majeurs a été de 31,3% dont 20,8% de resténose et 14,6% de revascularisation. Le taux de décès hospitalier a été de 4,2%. Les facteurs prédictifs d'événements cardiovasculaires majeurs ont été un EuroSCORE ≥ 10 et les antécédents cardiovasculaires.

Conclusion

L'angioplastie du tronc commun est une alternative dans les situations d'urgence ou en cas de contre-indication de la chirurgie. Le risque évolutif des patients est lié à leur risque global avant angioplastie.

Simultaneous kissing stents to treat unprotected left main stem coronary artery bifurcation disease; stent expansion, vessel injury, hemodynamics, tissue healing, restenosis, and repeat revascularization

Objectives

To perform detailed analysis of stent expansion, vessel wall stress, hemodynamics, re‐endothelialization, restenosis, and repeat PCI in the simultaneous kissing stents (SKS) technique of bifurcation left main stem (LMS) stenting.

Background

The SKS technique is useful to treat patients with true bifurcation disease of the LMS but remains controversial.

Methods and Results

Computational structural analysis of SKS expansion demonstrated undistorted and evenly expanded stents. Computational fluid dynamics modelling revealed largely undisturbed blood flow. 239 PCI procedures were performed on 217 patients with unprotected bifurcation LMS disease with SKS using DES (2004‐2017). We electively studied 13 stable patients from baseline to 10 years post‐SKS with repeat angiography and optical coherence tomography, and demonstrated tissue coverage of the stent struts at the carina, with no evidence of lacunae behind the stents. We studied all patients with symptomatic recurrence. Target lesion revascularization rate was 3.2% at 1 year and 4.6% at 2 years. Of all 20 patients with restenosis, the site was the LMS‐Cx stent in 7, the LMS‐LAD stent in 2 and both in 11. Two‐year recurrence rate was 7/32 (5.3%) for first, and 4/108 (3.7%) for second generation DES. Treatment with repeat kissing techniques was undertaken in 19/20, with sustained clinical results with re‐SKS.

Conclusion

The SKS technique for treating unprotected LMS bifurcation disease does not distort the stents, is associated with favorable hemodynamics, tissue coverage of the exposed struts, and a low restenosis rate when performed with contemporary stents. Re‐PCI with repeat SKS appears feasible, safe, and durable.

Impact of previous drug-eluting stent restenosis in non-left main coronary artery lesions on long-term outcomes after left main coronary artery stenting: an observation from the AOI-LMCA registry

We hypothesized that patients who had previous target-lesion revascularization (TLR) for DES restenosis in non-left main coronary artery (LMCA) lesions might have a higher risk for restenosis after subsequent DES implantation for a de novo unprotected LMCA lesion. Among 1809 patients enrolled in the Assessing Optimal Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for LMCA (AOI-LMCA) registry, which is a retrospective 6-centre registry of consecutive patients undergoing LMCA stenting in Japan, 251 patients with previous DES implantation for non-LMCA lesions were subdivided into the 2 groups with (N = 56) or without (N = 195) previous TLR in non-LMCA lesions. The risk for TLR for LMCA was neutral between the prior TLR for DES restenosis group and the no prior TLR for DES restenosis group [hazard ratio (HR) 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44-2.02, P = 0.98]. The risks for both TLR caused by restenosis of the LMCA main branch, and second TLR for restenosis after first TLR for LMCA were also neutral between the 2 groups (HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.10-1.25, P = 0.13, and HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.03-3.63, P = 0.60, respectively). In conclusion, prior TLR for DES restenosis in non-LMCA lesions was not associated with worse long-term clinical outcomes after DES implantation for de novo unprotected LMCA lesions.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Assessing Optimal Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Left Main Coronary Artery Stenting Registry (AOI LMCA Stenting Registry). http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index/htm/ . Unique Identifier: UMIN000014706.

Utility of stress perfusion-cardiac magnetic resonance in follow-up of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions of the left main coronary artery

To assess the accuracy of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for the diagnosis of angiographic stenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of left main coronary artery (LMCA). Patients undergone in the last year PCI of unprotected LMCA and scheduled for conventional X-ray coronary angiography (CXA) were evaluated with stress perfusion CMR within 2 weeks before CXA. Main contraindications to CMR were exclusion criteria. Stress perfusion CMR was performed to follow a bolus of contrast Gadobutrol after 3 min of adenosine infusion. Between the 50 patients enrolled, only 1 did not finish the CMR protocol and 49 patients with median age 71 (65-75) years (38 male, 11 female) were analyzed. Between 784 coronary angiographic segments evaluated we found 75 stenosis or occlusions (prevalence 9.5%), but only 13 stenosis or occlusions in proximal segments (prevalence 6.6%). Patients with coronary stenosis (n = 12, 24%) showed a significantly (p = 0.002) higher prevalence of diabetes (7 of 12, 58%). At CMR examination, late gadolinium enhancement was present in 25 (51%), reversible perfusion defects in 12 (24%), and fixed perfusion defects in 6 subjects (12%). The only patient with LMCA restenosis resulted positive at perfusion CMR. The accuracy of stress perfusion CMR in diagnosis of coronary stenosis was higher when the analysis was performed only in proximal coronary arteries (95%, CI 86-99) compared to overall vessels (84%, CI 70-92). Stress perfusion CMR could strongly reduce the need for elective CXA in follow up of LMCA PCI and should be validated in further multicenter prospective studies.

[Percutaneous coronary intervention of unprotected left main coronary compared with coronary artery bypass grafting; 3 years of experience in the National Institute of Cardiology, Mexico]

BACKGROUND

The best revascularisation method of the unprotected left main artery is a current and evolving topic.

METHODS

A total of 2439 percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) were registered during a 3-year period. The study included all the patients with PCI of the unprotected left main coronary (n=48) and matched with patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) (n=50). Major adverse cerebral and cardiac events (MACCE) were assessed within the hospital and in outpatients during a 16 month follow up.

RESULTS

The cardiovascular risk was greater in the PCI group; logEuroSCORE 16±21 vs. 5±6, P=.001; clinical Syntax 77±74 vs 53±39, P=.04. On admission, the PCI group of patients had a higher frequency of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and cardiogenic shock. The MACCE were similar in both groups (14% vs. 18%, P=.64). STEMI was less frequent in the PCI group (0% vs. 10%, P=.03). Cardiovascular events were lower in the PCI group (2.3% vs. 18%, P=.01), and there was a decrease in general and cardiac mortality (2.3% vs. 12%, P=.08 y 2.3% vs. 8%, P=.24), on excluding the patients with cardiogenic shock as a presentation. MACCE were similar in both groups in the out-patient phase (15% vs. 12%, P=.46). Survival without MACCE, general and cardiac death were comparable between groups (log rank, P=.38, P=.44 and P=.16, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Even though the clinical and peri-procedural risk profile of the PCI patients were higher, the in-hospital and out-hospital efficacy and safety were comparable with CABG.

Clinical Outcome After DK Crush Versus Culotte Stenting of Distal Left Main Bifurcation Lesions: The 3-Year Follow-Up Results of the DKCRUSH-III Study

OBJECTIVES

The present study aimed to investigate the difference in major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 3 years after double-kissing (DK) crush versus culotte stenting for unprotected left main distal bifurcation lesions (LMDBLs).

BACKGROUND

The multicenter and randomized DKCRUSH-III (Comparison of double kissing crush versus culotte stenting for unprotected distal left main bifurcation lesions: results from a multicenter, randomized, prospective study) showed that DK crush stenting was associated with fewer MACE at 1-year follow-up in patients with LMDBLs compared with culotte stenting. Here, we report the 3-year clinical outcome of the DKCRUSH-III study.

METHODS

A total of 419 patients with LMDBLs who were randomly assigned to either the DK crush or culotte group in the DKCRUSH-III study were followed for 3 year. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of a MACE at 3 years. Stent thrombosis (ST) was the safety endpoint. Patients were classified by simple and complex LMDBLs according to the DEFINITION (Definition and Impact of Complex Bifurcation Lesions on Clinical Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Using Drug-Eluting Stents) study criteria.

RESULTS

At 3 years, MACE occurred in 49 patients the culotte group and in 17 patients in the DK crush group (cumulative event rates of 23.7% and 8.2%, respectively; p < 0.001), mainly driven by increased myocardial infarction (8.2% vs. 3.4%, respectively; p = 0.037) and target-vessel revascularization (18.8% vs. 5.8%, respectively; p < 0.001) between groups. Definite ST rate was 3.4% in the culotte group and 0% in the DK crush group (p = 0.007). Complex LMDBLs were associated with a higher rate of MACE (35.3%) at 3 years compared with a rate of 8.1% in patients with simple LMDBLs (p < 0.001), with an extremely higher rate in the culotte group (51.5% vs. 15.1%, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Culotte stenting for LMDBLs was associated with significantly increased rates of MACE and ST. (Double Kissing [DK] Crush Versus Culotte Stenting for the Treatment of Unprotected Distal Left Main Bifurcation Lesions: DKCRUSH-III, a Multicenter Randomized Study Comparing Double-Stent Techniques; ChiCTR-TRC-11001877).

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease - A Single Hospital Experience without On-Site Cardiac Surgery

BACKGROUND

To investigate the safety and outcome of percutaneous coronary intervention for left main coronary artery disease in hospital without on-site cardiac surgery.

METHODS

Between January 2007 and December 2010, all patients diagnosed with left main coronary artery disease and refused coronary artery bypass graft surgery in our hospital or a tertiary center, were enrolled. Data including clinical course, angiographic characteristics, and 1- and 3-years outcomes were recorded and analyzed.

RESULTS

Seventy patients (mean age 73.4 ± 10.2 years, 47 male, 23 females) were treated with a mean SYNTAX score of 34.8 ± 12.6 and EuroSCORE of 6.7 ± 3.3. Thirty-two (45.7%) patients had stable angina, 35 (50.0%) had unstable angina/non ST-elevation myocardial infarction, and 3 (4.3%) had ST-elevation Myocardial infarction. Forty-three (61.4%) patients received a single-stent, 26 (37.1%) received two-stents, and 1 (1.4%) received balloon angioplasty. No procedure-related mortalities were noted and no emergency coronary artery bypass graft surgery was required. In the 3-year follow-up period, 2 (2.9%) patients had non-fetal myocardial infarction, 11 (15.7%) had left main target lesion revascularization. The major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events rates were 24.3% at 1 year and 37.1% at 3-years. The all-cause mortality rate was 41.4% (29 patients), including 18 (25.7%) cases of septic shock, 7 (10.0%) of sudden cardiac death, 2 (2.8%) of hypovolemic shock due to upper gastrointestinal bleeding, 1 (1.4%) of terminal stage malignancy, and 1 (1.4%) of suffocation at 3 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Percutaneous coronary intervention for patients with left main coronary artery disease was found to be a safe and effective strategy in our hospital without on-site cardiac surgery.

KEY WORDS

Incomplete revascularization; Left main coronary artery (LM); No cardiac surgery; Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Two-year outcomes following unprotected left main stenting with first vs. new-generation drug-eluting stents: the FINE registry

AIMS

To assess two-year outcomes following first vs. new-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in unprotected left main (ULMCA) percutaneous coronary intervention.

METHODS AND RESULTS

All eligible patients from our two-centre registry treated with first and new-generation DES from October 2006 to November 2010 were analysed. The study objective was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as all-cause mortality, target vessel revascularisation (TVR) and myocardial infarction (MI) at two years. In total, 186 patients were included: 93 (50.0%) treated with first vs. 93 (50.0%) with new-generation DES. No differences were observed in baseline clinical characteristics except for higher EuroSCORE with new-generation DES (3.6±2.5 vs. 4.6±2.7; p=0.007). No significant difference was observed in stenting techniques; two stents were used respectively in 53.8% vs. 44.1% (p=0.187). Notably, intravascular ultrasound guidance was more frequent with new-generation DES (46.2% vs. 61.3%; p=0.040). At 730.0 (interquartile range 365.5-1,224.5) days, there was a trend towards improved MACE with new-generation DES (31.2% vs. 19.6%; p=0.070) and a significant reduction in TVR (23.7% vs. 12.0%; p=0.038) and MI (4.3% vs. 0%; p=0.044). Notably, there were four cases of definite stent thrombosis (ST) with first vs. none with new-generation DES (p=0.044).

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, new-generation DES had a trend for less MACE and improved results with regard to MI, TVR and definite ST at two-year follow-up.

The Impact of Routine Angiographic Follow-Up in a Population of Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Within the Left Main Coronary Artery

Prognostic value of angiographic follow-up in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) still remains uncertain. The aim of the study was to compare clinical characteristics, mortality, and major cardiovascular events in patients with versus without angiographic follow-up after PCI of the LMCA as well as to identify independent risk factors for death after PCI of the LMCA. Study population consisted of 217 patients of 290 consecutive participants who underwent PCI of the LMCA and subsequently were divided into 2 groups: angiographic follow-up group (angio FU group, n = 155) and clinical follow-up group (clinical FU group, n = 62). In angio FU group, significantly lower mortality (19.4% vs 32.3%, P < .05) and higher repeated revascularization rates (PCI: 46.5% vs 8.1%, P < .001 and coronary artery bypass grafting: 12.9% vs 1.6%, P < .05) were observed. Independent risk factors for death were as follows: metal stent implantation (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.753), no angiographic follow-up (HR: 1.959), and an increase in serum creatinine level of 1 μmol/L (HR: 1.006). These preliminary data suggest that the lack of angiographic follow-up after PCI of the LMCA may result in higher long-term mortality.

Effect of final kissing balloon dilatation after one-stent technique at left-main bifurcation: a single center data

Background:

Whether final kissing balloon (FKB) dilatation after one-stent implantation at left-main (LM) bifurcation site remains unclear. Therefore, this large sample and long-term follow-up study comparatively assessed the impact of FKB in patients with unprotected LM disease treated with one-stent strategy.

Methods:

Total 1528 consecutive patients underwent LM percutaneous coronary intervention in one center from January 2004 to December 2010 were enrolled; among them, 790 patients treated with one drug-eluting stent crossover LM to left anterior descending (LAD) with FKB (n = 230) or no FKB (n = 560) were comparatively analyzed. Primary outcome was the rate of major adverse cardiovascular events, defined as a composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI) and target vessel revascularization (TVR).

Results:

Overall, The prevalence of true bifurcation lesions, which included Medina classification (1,1,1), (1,0,1), or (0,1,1), was similar between-groups (non-FKB: 37.0% vs. FKB: 39.6%, P = 0.49). At mean 4 years follow-up, rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (non-FKB: 10.0% vs. FKB: 7.8%, P = 0.33), death, MI and TVR were not significantly different between-groups. In multivariate propensity-matched regression analysis, FKB was not an independent predictor of adverse outcomes.

Conclusions:

For patients treated with one-stent crossover LM to LAD, clinical outcomes appear similar between FKB and non-FKB strategy.

Comparison of the efficacy of drug-eluting stents versus bare-metal stents for the treatment of left main coronary artery disease

Background:

Recent studies reported that percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation was safe and feasible for the treatment of left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease in select patients. However, it is unclear whether drug-eluting stents (DESs) have better outcomes in patients with LMCA disease compared with bare-metal stent (BMS) during long-term follow-up in Chinese populations.

Methods:

From a perspective multicenter registry, 1136 consecutive patients, who underwent BMS or DES implantation for unprotected LMCA stenosis, were divided into two groups: 1007 underwent DES implantation, and 129 underwent BMS implantation. The primary outcome was the rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), including cardiovascular (CV) death, myocardial infarction (MI), and target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 5 years postimplantation.

Results:

Patients in the DES group were older and more likely to have hyperlipidemia and bifurcation lesions. They had smaller vessels and longer lesions than patients in the BMS group. In the adjusted cohort of patients, the DES group had significantly lower 5 years rates of MACE (19.4% vs. 31.8%, P = 0.022), CV death (7.0% vs. 14.7%, P = 0.045), and MI (5.4% vs. 12.4%, P = 0.049) than the BMS group. There were no significant differences in the rate of TLR (10.9% vs. 17.8%, P = 0.110) and stent thrombosis (4.7% vs. 3.9%, P = 0.758). The rates of MACE (80.6% vs. 68.2%, P = 0.023), CV death (93.0% vs. 85.3%, P = 0.045), TLR (84.5% vs. 72.1%, P = 0.014), and MI (89.9% vs. 80.6%, P = 0.029) free survival were significantly higher in the DES group than in the BMS group. When the propensity score was included as a covariate in the Cox model, the adjusted hazard ratios for the risk of CV death and MI were 0.41 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21–0.63, P = 0.029) and 0.29 (95% CI: 0.08–0.92, P = 0.037), respectively.

Conclusions:

DES implantation was associated with more favorable clinical outcomes than BMS implantation for the treatment of LMCA disease even though there was no significant difference in the rate of TLR between the two groups.

Korean guidelines for the appropriate use of cardiac CT

The development of cardiac CT has provided a non-invasive alternative to echocardiography, exercise electrocardiogram, and invasive angiography and cardiac CT continues to develop at an exponential speed even now. The appropriate use of cardiac CT may lead to improvements in the medical performances of physicians and can reduce medical costs which eventually contribute to better public health. However, until now, there has been no guideline regarding the appropriate use of cardiac CT in Korea. We intend to provide guidelines for the appropriate use of cardiac CT in heart diseases based on scientific data. The purpose of this guideline is to assist clinicians and other health professionals in the use of cardiac CT for diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases, especially in patients at high risk or suspected of heart disease.

Drug-eluting stents in unprotected left main coronary artery disease

Though coronary bypass graft surgery (CABG) has traditionally been the cornerstone of therapy in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease, recent evidence supports the use of percutaneous coronary intervention in appropriate patients. Indeed in patients with ULMCA disease, drug-eluting stents (DES) have shown similar incidence of hard end points, fewer periprocedural complications and lower stroke rates compared with CABG, though at the cost of increased revascularization with time. Furthermore, the availability of newer efficacious and safer DES as well as improvements in diagnostic tools, percutaneous techniques and, importantly, a better patient selection, allowed percutaneous coronary intervention a viable alternative to CABG of left main-patients with low disease complexity; however, even in this interventional era characterized by efficacious DES, patients with ULMCA disease remain a challenging high-risk population where outcomes strongly depend on clinical characteristics, anatomical disease complexity and extension and operator's experience. This review summarizes the role of DES in ULMCA disease patients.

Safety and technical success of percutaneous left main coronary artery stenting

OBJECTIVE

Critical stenosis of left main coronary artery (LMCA) has always remained a challenge for interventional cardiologists. Conventionally Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) is done for these patients but recently Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is also being tried more frequently, but data of PCI is scarce in this regard. Our objective was to determine the safety and technical success rate of percutaneous left main coronary artery stenting.

METHODS

This was 12 month follow up study conducted at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad from 11(th) Jan 2012 to 11(th) Jan 2013. All symptomatic patients who underwent coronary angiogram at PIMS and were found to have either isolated LMCA disease or coexisting osteal Left Anterior Descending (LAD) artery disease were potentially eligible for the study. Patients who had previous surgical treatment for coronary artery disease and those with renal dysfunction requiring dialysis were excluded. Patients were counselled in detail regarding the pros and cons of PCI versus CABG.Those who opted for PCI were included in the study. All these patients were treated with percutaneous left main coronary artery stenting with or without osteal LAD stenting.

RESULTS

Seventy two patients had LMCA disease during angiogram. Fifteen patients opted for CABG. Four patients did not meet the inclusion criteria, whereas 53 patients were finally enrolled. Mean age of patients were 55.45±10.275 years. Twenty nine patients were with acute coronary syndrome and 22 presented with unstable angina.PCI with stenting was technically successful in all patients. One patient died three months after PCI, there was no other mortality.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) to LMS has good technical success rate; the safety of the procedure is also acceptable.

Dual protection therapy with staged coronary artery bypass surgery and stenting in patients with left main coronary artery stenosis: long-term results from a single center

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of dual protection therapy with staged coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and bare-metal stenting (BMS) in patients with left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease.

BACKGROUND

CABG is currently the preferred therapy for complex LMCA disease; however, the long-term patency rates of these grafts are unsatisfactory, and stenting alone for LMCA may be associated with the potentially fatal consequences of stent thrombosis or restenosis.

METHODS

Between January 1997 and October 2005, 42 patients underwent staged bypass surgery and BMS, with the latter procedure performed 2 weeks after the initial CABG. Of these patients, 40 received left internal mammary artery (LIMA) grafts, 34 saphenous vein grafts, 6 radial artery grafts, and 3 right IMA (RIMA) grafts. Minimally invasive bypass surgery was performed in 10 patients.

RESULTS

There were no operative complications. Forty-two stents were implanted in 42 lesions without complications. During the follow-up period of 135 ± 55 months, 1 patient died of cancer, 2 of cardiac causes, and 5 patients (12%) experienced target lesion revascularization. The target vessel failure rate was 24%. Forty patients (95%) underwent a 6-month angiographic follow-up. Restenosis was noted in 7 patients (18%). Reocclusion was also noted in 5 LIMA grafts, 5 saphenous vein grafts, 1 radial artery graft, and 1 RIMA graft. Only 1 patient experienced both restenosis of LM stenting and total occlusion of the 2 bypass grafts.

CONCLUSIONS

Dual protection therapy with staged CABG and stenting is not an appropriate therapeutic strategy because of unacceptable graft patency rate. A higher occlusive rate of the bypass grafts may result from decreased blood flow because of competing blood flow between the bypass graft and the native coronary vessel.

Unprotected left main coronary stenting as alternative therapy to coronary bypass surgery in high surgical risk acute coronary syndrome patients

Acute coronary syndrome has a high mortality rate that dramatically increases in the presence of left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. Over the past decades, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been commonly accepted as the standard of care for patients with LMCA stenosis and is still considered the first-line treatment in current practice guidelines. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of protected and unprotected LMCA has gained popularity and is increasingly utilized with comparable outcomes to CABG in randomized controlled trials. In-stent restenosis and the need for revascularization provide the main obstacle to LMCA revascularization. The advent of better PCI equipment, stents, ablative devices, intravascular ultrasound, hemodynamic support devices and antithrombotic agents have ignited a renewed interest in the practice of LMCA PCI, especially for high surgical risk patients who are neither candidates nor agreeable to CABG surgery. Herein, we review the studies comparing unprotected LMCA stenting with CABG surgery in regard to 3 main endpoints: mortality, major adverse events and the incidence of repeat revascularization.

Three-dimensional intravascular ultrasound evaluation of carina and plaque shift at the distal left main coronary artery bifurcation after treatment with a one-stent cross-over technique

OBJECTIVE

To assess the geometrical changes in the distal left main coronary artery (LMCA), left anterior descending (LAD), and left circumflex (LCX) that occur after a distal LMCA lesion is treated using a one-stent cross-over strategy.

BACKGROUND

Morphological changes after stent implantation into distal LMCA lesions are not fully understood.

METHODS

We used pre- and postintervention three-dimensional intravascular ultrasound of both the LAD and LCX as well as of the LMCA to evaluate distal LMCA lesions after a 1-stent cross-over strategy. In 38 distal LMCA bifurcation lesions, cross-sectional measurements were performed every 1 mm over a 5-mm segment in the LAD and LCX distal to the carina and over the entire LMCA proximal to the carina.

RESULTS

The increase in lumen volume correlated with the increase in external elastic membrane volumes: R = 0.917, P < 0.001, in the LMCA and R = 0.785, P < 0.001, in the LAD with no decrease in plaque volume except at the distal end of the LMCA (P = 0.081) and at the LAD carina (P = 0.11). The LCX lumen area decreased significantly at the LCX carina from 5.9 ± 2.0 mm(2) to 5.3 ± 1.9 mm(2) (P < 0.01); however, the response was variable from a 4.0 mm(2) decrease to a 1.8 mm(2) increase in lumen area. While the change in LCX lumen area at the carina correlated with the change in vessel area (R = 0.791, P < 0.001), there was also a small increase in plaque area at the LCX carina from 6.4 ± 2.9 mm(2) to 6.8 ± 2.9 mm(2) (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

LMCA bifurcation lumen changes after cross-over single-stent implantation were determined primarily by conformational changes in vessel geometry.

Stenting of left main coronary artery stenosis: A to Z

For several decades, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been considered as the gold standard treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. The marked improvement in technique and technology makes percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) feasible for patients with unprotected LMCA stenosis. The recent introduction of drug-eluting stents (DESs), together with advances in periprocedural and postprocedural adjunctive pharmacotherapies, has improved outcomes of PCIs of these lesions. Recent studies comparing efficacy and safety of PCIs using drug-eluting stents and CABG revealed comparable results in terms of safety and a lower need for repeat revascularisation for CABG. Patient selection for both the techniques directly impacts clinical outcome. Despite improvement in stent technology and operator experience, management can be challenging especially in LMCA bifurcation lesions and, therefore, an integrated approach combining advanced devices, tailored techniques, adjunctive support of physiological evaluation, and adjunctive pharmacological agents should be reinforced to improve clinical outcome.

Real World Application of Stenting of Unprotected Left Main Coronary Stenosis: A Single-Center Experience

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to summarize our single-center real-world experience with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) stenting of unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA). PCI-stenting of the ULMCA, while controversial, is emerging as an alternative to coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in select patients and clinical situations.

METHODS

Between January 2005 and December 2008, PCI-stenting was performed on 125 patients with ULMCA lesions at our institution. Clinical and procedural data were recorded at the time of procedure, and patients were followed prospectively (mean 1.7 years; range 1 day-4.1 years) for outcomes, including death, myocardial infarction (MI), and target vessel revascularization (TVR).

RESULTS

The majority of cases were urgent or emergent (82.5%), 50.4% of patients were non-surgical candidates, and 63.2% had 3 vessel disease. Many emergent patients presented in shock (62.1%), were not surgical candidates (89.7%), and had high mortality (20.7% in-hospital, 44.8% long-term). Mortality in the elective group was 6.3%. Cumulative death and TVR rates were 28.8% and 13.6%, respectively. Independent predictors of mortality were ejection fraction (EF) ≤ 35% (HR 2.4, CI 1.1 - 5.4) and left main bifurcation (HR 2.7, CI 1.2 - 5.7).

CONCLUSIONS

PCI-stenting is a viable option in patients with LMCA disease and extends options to patients who are poor candidates for CABG. Elective PCI in low-risk CABG patients results in good long-term survival. Cumulative TVR is 13.6%. EF ≤ 35% and left main bifurcation are independently associated with increased mortality.

Left main coronary artery bifurcation angioplasty and stenting after aortic valve replacement: a case report

A 43-year-old young lady had closed mitral valvotomy (CMV) in 1994 and aortic valve replacement (AVR) in June 2007. Shortly thereafter, she presented with unstable angina in October 2007 with on-going pain and haemodynamic instability. Coronary angiogram showed tight left main bifurcation stenosis in a left dominant system. Having had open heart surgery (AVR) recently, and being on oral anticoagulation, with on-going ischaemia and unstable haemodynamics, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was considered the most suitable option. She underwent successful PCI with two drug-eluting stents (T-stenting) to left main bifurcation through transradial approach and intra-aortic balloon support. Clinically she remained symptom free and coronary angiogram after 5 months and 15 months of follow-up showed patent stents. This case demonstrates the acute effectiveness of PCI for the treatment of critical left main disease following open heart surgery in patients who are not appropriate surgical candidates.

Comparison of coronary artery bypass grafting with percutaneous coronary intervention for unprotected left main coronary artery disease

PURPOSE

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the optimal treatment option for left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD). However, LMCAD remains a constant topic of discussion between cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of LMCAD treatments by comparing the mid-term outcomes of CABG and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using bare metal stents or drug-eluting stents (DESs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study population was comprised of 199 consecutive patients admitted with unprotected LMCAD. All of the patients were assigned to PCI (88 patients) or CABG (111 patients). The primary clinical end point indicated death, stroke of acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

RESULTS

Patients assigned to PCI were at higher operative risk than patients scheduled for CABG (6.49 ± 4.09 vs. 4.81 ± 2.67, p=0.0032). Comparison of the group that received DESs with the CABG group did not reveal any differences in major adverse cardio-cerebral events (MACCE) occurrence (21% vs. 16%, p=NS). Patients in the CABG and PCI groups died with similar frequency (11% vs. 16%, p=NS). The mortality rate in the CABG group was higher than among those treated with DES (11% vs. 3%, p=0.049). The rate of ACS was higher in the PCI group than in the CABG group (13% vs. 4%, p=0.016).

CONCLUSION

Despite the fact that patients treated with PCI were at higher operative risk, PCI with DES was shown to be comparable to CABG in terms of mortality, stroke and ACS. However, the frequency of repeat revascularizations remains a constant concern with PCI.

Percutaneous coronary intervention of unprotected left main coronary artery disease as culprit lesion in patients with acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to evaluate short- and long-term outcomes of patients undergoing emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction due to a culprit lesion in an unprotected left main coronary artery.

METHODS

In this retrospective, 2-center, international observational study, 5,261 patients were admitted between February 2005 and December 2008 with acute myocardial infarction and treated with PCI; of these, 1,277 were ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and 3,984 non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. We identified 48 patients among this cohort who underwent emergency PCI to an unprotected left main coronary artery culprit lesion.

RESULTS

Mean age was 70 ± 12.5 years, and 45% of the patients presented with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction or new left bundle branch block. Cardiogenic shock was present in 45%, and distal left main coronary artery disease was present in 71% of patients. Angiographic procedural success was achieved in 92% of patients. Overall in-hospital mortality was 21%, due in all cases to refractory, multiorgan failure. Twenty-five percent experienced major adverse cardiac events, defined as death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, and target vessel revascularization. In patients presenting in cardiogenic shock, in-hospital mortality was 32%. At 1-year follow-up, in-hospital survivors had a mortality rate of 10.5%, whereas 18.4% experienced subsequent major adverse cardiac events. Long-term prognosis was excellent in hospital survivors with a 1-year survival rate of 89.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with acute myocardial infarction and thrombosis of the unprotected left main coronary artery are a high-risk subgroup with a substantial mortality, particularly if they present in cardiogenic shock. We demonstrate that in these patients, PCI is a feasible treatment option associated with reasonably good outcomes. Long-term prognosis is excellent in hospital survivors with an 89.5% survival rate at 1 year.

Long-term clinical outcomes following elective stent implantation for unprotected left main coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been increasingly adopted for unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictors of long-term clinical outcomes in patients after elective stent implantation for unprotected LMCA disease.

METHODS

A total of 122 patients with medically refractory angina who received coronary stenting for unprotected LMCA disease between August 1997 and December 2008 were included.

RESULTS

During the follow-up period of 45 ± 35 months (range: 1-137 months), the incidence of repeated PCI and/or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and cardiovascular and total mortality were 28% (34 patients), 20% (24 patients), and 25% (31 patients), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that young age [p = 0.02; hazard ratio (HR): 2.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-4.30] and bare-metal stent (BMS) use (p = 0.02; HR: 5.35, 95% CI: 1.27-22.57) were the independent predictors of repeated PCI and/or CABG. Only lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) could predict both cardiovascular mortality (p = 0.003; HR: 4.25, 95% CI: 1.63-11.08) and total mortality (p = 0.002; HR: 3.95, 95% CI: 1.65-9.45). Lower LVEF (p = 0.001; HR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.16-0.61) and small stent size (p = 0.01; HR: 5.95, 95% CI: 1.43-24.80) could predict the composite endpoint, including target vessel revascularization and total mortality.

CONCLUSION

We showed that young age and BMS implantation could predict repeated PCI and/or CABG after stent implantation for unprotected LMCA disease. Only lower LVEF could predict both cardiovascular and total mortality. Lower LVEF and small stent size but not BMS implantation could predict composite target vessel revascularization/total mortality.

Long-term (4-year) outcomes and predictors of adverse cardiac events after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation in unprotected left main coronary artery

The long-term safety and efficiency of sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) treatment in unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) have not yet been ascertained.From 2003 to 2006, 126 consecutive patients with de novo lesions in ULMCA who underwent SES were retrospectively analyzed in a single center in China. During 4-year follow-up, major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE)-free survival was 74.6%. Cardiac death occurred in 5 (4.0%), and target lesion revascularization (TLR) and target vessel revascularization (TVR) occurred in 15 (11.9%) and 24 (19.0%) patients, respectively. One (0.8%) experienced probable stent thrombosis while 1 (0.8%) presented possible stent thrombosis. Impaired LVEF (< 40%) and high surgical risk (Euro score > 6) were the independent predictors of MACEs.PCI with SES for de novo lesions in ULMCA is feasible with a low procedural risk. However, SES was associated with a relatively higher rate of TLR and TVR. Impaired LVEF and high surgical risk were important predictors of MACEs.

Comparison of single- versus two-stent techniques in treatment of unprotected left main coronary bifurcation disease

BACKGROUND

This study sought to compare 3-year outcomes of single- versus two-stent techniques in patients with distal unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease treated with drug-eluting stents (DES).

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 392 patients with distal unprotected LMCA disease who underwent DES implantation with single- (n = 234) or two- (n = 158) stent techniques were evaluated. The primary end point was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as the composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), and target lesion revascularization (TLR). The two-stent group was more likely to have extensive coronary artery stenosis. After adjustment with weighted Cox model using the inverse probability of treatment weighting, the 3-year risk of death was similar in the single- and two-stent groups (hazard ratio [HR], 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28-2.13, P = 0.62). However, the 3-year risks of MI (HR, 0.38, 95% CI, 0.19-0.78, P = 0.008), TLR (HR, 0.16, 95% CI, 0.05-0.57, P = 0.005), and MACE (HR, 0.89, 95% CI, 0.22-0.67, P = 0.0007) were significantly lower in the single-stent group.

CONCLUSION

Compared with the two-stent technique, the single-stent technique showed more favorable long-term clinical outcomes in patients with distal unprotected LMCA disease who received DES