Impact of Intravascular Ultrasound Imaging on Early and Late Clinical Outcomes Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Drug-Eluting Stents

Investigations of injection strategies to use heparinized normal saline instead of contrast media for intracoronary optical coherence tomography imaging

BACKGROUND

The benefits of intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) are well established. Intravascular imaging guidance improves short- and long-term outcomes, especially in complex PCI. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has a higher resolution than intravascular ultrasound. However, the usage of OCT is mainly limited by the need to use contrast for flushing injections, which increases the risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury, especially in patients with underlying chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study was to prove that flushing techniques with normal saline instead of contrast can be used in OCT imaging and can generate high-quality images.

METHODS

This prospective single-center observational study included patients with indications for OCT-guided PCI. For OCT pullbacks, heparinized saline was injected by an automatic pump injector at different rates, and additional extension catheters for selective coronary artery engagement were used at the operator's discretion. Recordings were made using the Ilumien Optis OCT system (Abbott) and the Dragonfly (Abbott) catheter and were analyzed at 1-mm intervals by two operators. Pullbacks were categorized as having optimal, acceptable, or unacceptable imaging quality. A clinically usable run was determined if >75% of the region of interest length was described as having optimal or acceptable imaging quality.

RESULTS

A total of 32 patients were enrolled in the study; 47 different lesions were assessed before and after PCI. In total, 91.5% of runs were described as clinically suitable for use.

CONCLUSION

Heparinized saline injections for OCT imaging are effective in generating good-quality OCT images suitable for clinical use.

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.

Safety and feasibility of intravascular ultrasound-guided robotic percutaneous coronary intervention

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies have demonstrated the benefit of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for preventing longitudinal geographic miss (LGM). However, it is yet unclear whether IVUS guidance is useful for robotic-PCI (robotic-assisted perctaneous coronary intervention [R-PCI]).

METHODS

A total of 58 consecutive patients with stable angina who underwent IVUS-guided R-PCI were enrolled. The stent landing position was angiographically marked using a balloon marker before stenting, followed by measurements of the expected stent length using balloon pullback. Subsequently, prestenting IVUS was performed to determine stent landing. All pre-PCI IVUS images were assessed for lesion length and percent plaque volume (%PV) using both IVUS and angiographic marking. LGM was defined as a residual %PV >50% at either the distal or proximal stent edge, any stent edge dissection, or additional stent deployment immediately after stenting.

RESULTS

The included patients had an average age of 67.1 ± 10.1 years. IVUS guidance had significantly longer lesion lengths compared with angiographic marking. Based on IVUS-guided stent deployment, nine cases exhibited LGM immediately after stenting. IVUS-marked landing points had a significantly smaller %PV and significantly larger lumen area compared with those for angiography.

CONCLUSION

IVUS-guided R-PCI was well-tolerated and may be better at preventing LGM compared with angiography-guided R-PCI.

Unveiling the Heart of the Matter: Intravascular Ultrasound in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has become crucial in contemporary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), offering detailed two-dimensional (2D) arterial wall visualization. Current guidelines consider it valuable for guiding coronary stent placement, especially in complex cases like the left main (LM) artery, allowing a comprehensive assessment of vessel characteristics and stent performance. There are some studies that highlight the potential impact of IVUS on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) management, notably improving outcomes. This case involves a 37-year-old man who experienced an AMI, necessitating the use of IVUS to ascertain the underlying cause of his acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This approach was essential for guiding appropriate treatment and ultimately led to successful stent implantation.

Comparison of Long-Term Outcomes Between Intravascular Ultrasound-, Optical Coherence Tomography- and Angiography-Guided Stent Implantation: A Meta-Analysis

Intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) guided percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) are alternative techniques to angiography-guided (ANG-g) PCI in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), especially for optimal stent deployment in coronary arteries. We conducted a network meta-analysis including studies comparing those three techniques. We searched databases for studies that compared IVUS, OCT, and ANG-g PCI in patients with CAD. Overall, 52 studies with 231,137 patients were included in this meta-analysis. ANG-g PCI had higher major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and stent thrombosis (ST) than IVUS-guided PCI. Of note, both OCT-guided and IVUS-guided PCI had similar outcomes. The frequency of MACEs, cardiac death, and MI were higher in ANG-g PCI than in OCT-guided PCI. The highest benefit was established with OCT for MACEs (P-score=.973), MI (P-score=.823), and cardiac death (P-score=.921) and with IVUS for all-cause death (P-score=.792), TLR (P -score=.865), and ST (P-score=.930). This network meta-analysis indicated that using OCT or IVUS for optimal stent implantation provides better outcomes in comparison with ANG-g in patients with CAD undergoing PCI.

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

Background

Intravascular imaging with either intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or optical coherence tomography (OCT) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with improved outcomes, but these techniques have previously been underutilized in the real world. We aimed to examine the change in utilization of intravascular imaging-guided PCI over the past decade in the United States and assess the association between intravascular imaging and clinical outcomes following PCI for myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods

We surveyed the National Inpatient Sample from 2008 to 2019 to calculate the number of PCIs for MI guided by IVUS or OCT. Temporal trends were analyzed using Cochran-Armitage trend test or simple linear regression for categorical or continuous outcomes, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare outcomes following PCI with and without intravascular imaging.

Results

A total of 2,881,746 PCIs were performed for MI. The number of IVUS-guided PCIs increased by 309.9 % from 6,180 in 2008 to 25,330 in 2019 (P-trend < 0.001). The percentage of IVUS use in PCIs increased from 3.4 % in 2008 to 8.7 % in 2019 (P-trend < 0.001). The number of OCT-guided PCIs increased 548.4 % from 246 in 2011 to 1,595 in 2019 (P-trend < 0.001). The percentage of OCT guidance in all PCIs increased from 0.0 % in 2008 to 0.6 % in 2019 (P-trend < 0.001). Intravascular imaging-guided PCI was associated with lower odds of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio 0.66, 95 % confidence interval 0.60-0.72, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Although the number of intravascular imaging-guided PCIs have been increasing, adoption of intravascular imaging remains poor despite an association with lower mortality.

Geographic Variations on the Safety and Efficacy of the Supreme Biodegradable Polymer DES: Results From PIONEER III

Background

The PIONEER III trial showed the 12-month safety and efficacy of the Supreme drug-eluting stent (DES) vs the durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent. We sought to assess whether the characteristics and clinical outcomes of the Supreme DES in PIONEER III were consistent among patients by enrollment location.

Methods

This subgroup analysis of the PIONEER III trial compared the characteristics and outcomes of patients recruited from North America, Europe, and Japan and the relative differences in patient outcomes according to the site recruitment volume.

Results

From October 2017 to July 2019, 1629 patients were recruited in North America (816, 50.1%), Europe (650, 39.9%), and Japan (163, 10%). Procedural success was achieved in 1556 of 1611 procedures (96.6%), with no difference by the geographic location. Target lesion failure at 12 months for combined groups was observed in 84 of 1629 patients (5.2%), with no significant geographic differences (4.7%, 6.5%, and 2.5%, respectively; P =.08), with similar results in the Supreme DES group alone (4.4%, 6.8%, and 3.7%, respectively, P =.20). Cardiac death at 12 months occurred in 0.4%, 0.2%, and 0.0% (P =.79), target vessel-related myocardial infarction occurred in 2.2%, 4.7%, and 3.7%, (P =.10), and clinically driven target lesion revascularization was required in 2.1%, 3.1%, and 0%, respectively (P =.15). Compared with those from high-recruiting sites, results from low-recruiting sites were similar for target lesion failure, major adverse cardiac events, stent thrombosis, and mortality, with a nonsignificant trend for higher rates of myocardial infarction.

Conclusions

Despite regional differences in patient characteristics, the clinical outcomes between Supreme DES and durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent in the PIONEER III trial were not different, supporting the generalizability and robustness of the findings from this multicenter controlled trial.

Left Main Coronary Artery Disease-Current Management and Future Perspectives

Due to its anatomical features, patients with an obstruction of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) have an increased risk of death. For years, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been considered as a gold standard for revascularization. However, notable advancements in the field of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) led to its acknowledgement as an important treatment alternative, especially in patients with low and intermediate anatomical complexity. Although recent years brought several random clinical trials that investigated the safety and efficacy of the percutaneous approach in LMCA, there are still uncertainties regarding optimal revascularization strategies. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment methods of LMCA disease, focusing on percutaneous methods.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With and Without Intravascular Ultrasound for Patients With Complex Lesions: Utilization, Mortality, and Target Vessel Revascularization

BACKGROUND

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has several benefits during percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), including more accurate vessel sizing, improved stent expansion, and better strut apposition. Prior clinical trials have demonstrated a reduction in cardiac events when IVUS is used. However, there is limited information about the utilization of IVUS and the outcomes of IVUS-guided versus angiography-guided PCI in patients with complex lesions in a contemporary population-based setting.

METHODS

New York's PCI registry was used to identify 44 305 patients with complex lesions (lesions that complicate stenting or that require multiple stents) undergoing PCI with and without IVUS guidance and discharged between December 1, 2013 and November 30, 2018. Trends and inter-hospital variation in IVUS use were examined. Risk-adjusted mortality and target vessel revascularization were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 6174 (13.9%) PCI patients underwent IVUS-guided PCI. The median follow-up period was 2.5 years. The percent of patients with complex lesions who underwent IVUS-guided PCI rose from 13.4% in 2014 to 16.5% in 2018 (P<0.0001 for trend), with the main increases occurring in the last 2 years of the period. Only 31 of 66 hospitals in the study used IVUS for >5% of their study patients. IVUS-guided PCI patients experienced significantly lower mortality (adjusted hazard ratio=0.89 [0.79-0.98] after adjustment using a Cox proportional hazards model, and HR=0.88 [0.78-0.99] for propensity-matched patients). We also found that IVUS-guided PCI patients had a lower rate of target vessel revascularization (adjusted hazard ratio=0.88 [0.80-0.97]) after adjusting using Cox proportional hazards with competing risk of mortality and after propensity matching (0.88 [0.79-0.99]).

CONCLUSIONS

Utilization of IVUS for complex lesions has increased but contemporary rates remain low, and there are large inter-hospital variations. The use of IVUS for complex lesions was associated with lower risk of medium-term mortality and target vessel revascularization.

Use of intravascular ultrasound and long-term cardiac death or myocardial infarction in patients receiving current generation drug-eluting stents

Long-term follow-up data on differential effects of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) according to lesion complexity are limited in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The current study compared long-term clinical outcomes between IVUS-guided and angiography-guided PCI in patients with second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES). Between February 2008 and December 2015, 5488 patients undergoing PCI with second-generation DES were recruited from an institutional registry of Samsung Medical Center. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac death or myocardial infarction (MI) during 46 months of median follow-up (interquartile range: 32–102 months). IVUS-guided PCI was performed in 979 patients (17.8%). IVUS-guided PCI was associated with a significantly lower risk of cardiac death or MI compared with angiography-guided PCI (5.7% vs. 12.9%, hazard ratio 0.408, 95% confidence interval 0.284–0.587, p < 0.001). Results were consistent after propensity score matching analysis with 801 matched pairs. In subgroup analysis, there was no significant interaction between lesion complexity (defined by complex procedures, P_interaction = 0.819, ACC/AHA lesion classification, P_interaction = 0.401 or SYNTAX score, P_interaction = 0.149) and use of IVUS for risk of cardiac death or MI. IVUS-guided second-generation DES implantation was associated with a significantly lower long-term risk of cardiac death or MI compared with angiography guidance, regardless of lesion complexity.

The Clinical Effects of Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with Chronic Total Occlusion: A Meta-Analysis

Background

The clinical effects of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions remain unclear.

Methods

We identified all full-text published studies that compared the effects of IVUS-guided CTO-PCI with angiography-guided CTO-PCI by searching electric databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ISI Web of Science from the establishment to Nov 2021. There was no language limitation. The endpoints included the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), cardiac death, all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and target vessel revascularization (TVR).

Results

Five studies involving a total of 2320 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Compared to the angiography-guided group, IVUS-guided PCI showed no significant reduction in the incidence of MACE (I² = 27.4%, P = 0.239; RR 0.929, 95% CI 0.765 to 1.128, P = 0.457), cardiac death (I² = 0.0%, P = 0.459; RR 0.574, 95% CI 0.299 to 1.103, P = 0.096), all-cause death (I² = 0.0%, P = 0.964; RR 0.677, 95% CI 0.395 to 1.163, P = 0.158), MI (I² = 46.7%, P = 0.131; RR0.836, 95% CI 0.508 to 1.377, P = 0.482), and TVR (I² = 21.2%, P = 0.279; RR 0.929, 95% CI 0.679 to 1.272, P = 0.648).

Conclusions

IVUS-guided PCI demonstrated no significant benefit on MACE, cardiac death, all-cause death, MI, and TVR in patients with CTO lesions. However, given the study's limitations, additional high-quality RCTs are needed.

Short- and Long-Term Prognosis of Intravascular Ultrasound-Versus Angiography-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Meta-Analysis Involving 24,783 Patients

Background

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has potential benefits. This meta-analysis aimed to explore whether IVUS-guided PCI had better short- and long-term prognoses than angiography-guided PCI.

Methods

We retrieved studies from PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Clinical trials including retrospective and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared IVUS-guided PCI with angiography-guided PCI were included. The patients were followed up after operation at 30 days, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years. The clinical outcomes were target lesion revascularization (TLR), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and MACEs, including stent thrombosis (ST), myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac death, and all-cause death. The study population included patients with MI, coronary bifurcation lesions, short or long lesions, and unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis (ULMCA). The quality of retrospective trials was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and the quality of randomized controlled trials was evaluated using the Jadad score. A total of 20 clinical trials met the criteria. Three trials were randomized controlled trials, while 17 were retrospective trials.

Results

A total of 24,783 patients were included. In observational trials, the OR of MACEs was 0.49 (95% CI: 0.38-0.62) in 30 days, 0.65 (95% CI: 0.58-0.73) in one year, 0.51 (95% CI: 0.36-0.71) in two years, and 0.45 (95% CI: 0.31-0.65) in three years. In patients with long coronary lesions, the OR of MACEs in 1 year was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.28-1.50). In patients with left main artery disease, the OR of MACEs in 3 years was 0.42 (95% CI: 0.26-0.67). Compared with angiography-guided PCI, IVUS-guided PCI was associated with a lower incidence of MACEs during the same following period.

Conclusion

Compared with angiography-guided PCI, IVUS-guided PCI has better performance in reducing the occurrence of MACEs.

Characteristics and hospital outcomes of coronary atherectomy within the United States: a multivariate and propensity-score matched analysis

BACKGROUND

Suboptimal stent delivery and deployment in calcified coronary lesions are associated with a poor clinical outcome.

METHODS

Using the National Inpatient Sample database, we identified patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Comparison between procedural and hospital outcomes between patients who underwent atherectomy and those who did not.

RESULTS

A total of 2,035,039 patients underwent PCI, of which 50,095 (2.4%) underwent lesion modification using atherectomy. After adjustment for baseline differences, patients who underwent atherectomy were found to have higher rates of in-hospital mortality (3.3% vs 2.2% adjusted Odds Ratio, aOR, 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-1.46, P < 0.001), coronary artery dissection (1.7% vs 1.1%, aOR, 1.56; 95%, 1.45-1.67, P < 0.001) vascular complications (1.6% vs 1.0%, aOR, 1.52; 95%, 1.42-1.64, P < 0.001), major bleeding (6.3% vs 4.7%, aOR, 1.24; 95%, 1.18-1.28, P < 0.001), and acute kidney injury (AKI) (10.9%vs 9.1%, aOR, 1.07; 95%, 1.04-1.11, P < 0.001) when compared with non-atherectomy patients. Concomitant intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging improved mortality, while other complication rates were not affected by imaging.

CONCLUSION

Coronary atherectomy was performed in patients with multiple comorbidities and was associated with higher in-hospital mortality and complications than the non-atherectomy group.

Clinical outcomes for intracoronary imaging strategies at different medical facilities in Japanese patients with coronary artery disease: the SAKURA imaging PCI Registry

The relationships between intracoronary imaging modalities and outcomes among Japanese patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) based on the type of medical facility providing outpatient care remain unclear. In this multicenter prospective study (SAKURA PCI Registry), we aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of patients with CAD who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between April 2015 and December 2018. In this registry, we investigated differences in patient characteristics, intracoronary imaging modalities, and clinical outcomes between two types of medical facilities. Of the 414 patients enrolled in this registry, 196 were treated at two university hospitals, and 218 were treated at five community hospitals (median follow-up 11.0 months). The primary endpoint was clinically relevant events (CREs), including a composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, clinically driven target lesion revascularization, stent thrombosis, stroke, and major bleeding. Patients treated at university hospitals had higher rates of diabetes (50% vs. 38%, p = 0.015) and malignant tumors (12% vs. 6%, p = 0.015) and more frequent use of multiple intracoronary imaging modalities than patients treated at community hospitals (21% vs. 0.5%, p < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier incidence of CREs at 1 year was comparable between university hospitals and community hospitals (8.8% vs. 7.3%, p = 0.527, log-rank test). Despite the relatively higher risk among patients in university hospitals with frequent use of multi-intracoronary imaging modalities, adverse clinical events appeared to be comparable between patients with CAD treated at university and community hospitals in Japan.

National trends of utilization and readmission rates with intravascular ultrasound use for ST-elevation myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Randomized trials have confirmed that intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) improves long-term clinical outcomes. However, data on real-world utilization of IVUS in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and the impact on short to mid-term outcomes are scarce. We sought to evaluate the utilization and the readmission rates for IVUS-guided PCI in the setting of STEMI.

METHODS

Hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of STEMI undergoing PCI were included from the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) during 2012-2017.

RESULTS

Among 809,601 hospitalizations with STEMI undergoing PCI, 33,644 (4.2%) underwent IVUS-guided PCI. IVUS use increased from 4.2% in 2012 to 5.6% in 2017 (p < .0001). After matching, in-hospital mortality was significantly lower with IVUS use (3.9% vs. 4.6%, p < .0001). The overall readmission rates were similar in both groups. We found that readmission rates due to acute MI at 6 months (5.7% vs. 6%, p = .045) and 11 months (5.1% vs. 6.5%, p = .005) as well as the PCI and mortality rates during readmission at 11 months (2.1% vs. 3%, p = .008, and 0.7% vs. 1.4%, p = .002, respectively) were significantly lower in the IVUS group.

CONCLUSIONS

The utilization of IVUS in STEMI appears to be slowly increasing. Although overall readmission rates were similar, IVUS was associated with lower in-hospital mortality, lower rates of readmission due to acute MI at 6 and 11 months, as well as lower PCI and mortality at 11 months. Randomized trials evaluating long-term benefits of IVUS in STEMI are needed.

Radiomic features of plaques derived from coronary CT angiography to identify hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis, using invasive FFR as the reference standard

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of radiomics features derived from coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in the identification of ischemic coronary stenosis plaque using invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) as the reference standard.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

174 plaques of 149 patients (age: 62.21 ± 8.47 years, 96 males) with at least one lesion stenosis degree between 30 % and 90 % were retrospectively included. Stenosis degree and plaque characteristics were recorded, and a conventional multivariate logistic model was established. Over 1000 radiomics features of the plaque were derived from CCTA images. The plaques were randomly divided into training set (n = 139) and validation set (n = 35). A random forest model was built. The area under the curve (AUC) of the models was compared.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight radiomics features were correlated with functionally significant stenosis (p <  0.05), wherein 56 features had an AUC of >0.6. NCP volume, NRS, remodeling index, and spotty calcification were included in the conventional model. Ultimately, 14 features were integrated to build the radiomics model. The AUC showed an improvement: 0.71 vs 0.82 for the training set and 0.70 vs 0.77 for the validation set (conventional model and radiomics model, respectively); however, it was not statistically significant (p =  0.58).

CONCLUSION

The radiomics analysis of plaques showed improvement compared with conventional plaques assessment in identifying hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis. The statistical advancement of machine learning for plaques to predict hemodynamic stenosis with a noninvasive approach still needs further studies on a large-scale dataset.

OPtical frequency domain imaging vs. INtravascular ultrasound in percutaneous coronary InterventiON in patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

A recent clinical trial demonstrated that optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) guidance in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is noninferior to intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance in patients with coronary artery disease with regard to target vessel failure (composed of cardiac death, myocardial infarction attributed to the target vessel, and clinically-driven target vessel revascularization) at 12 months. The impact of OFDI guidance in PCI for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains uncertain.

METHODS

OPINION ACS is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, controlled, open-label, parallel group, non-inferiority trial in Japan. Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to receive either OFDI- or IVUS-guided PCI. PCI is performed using the sirolimus-eluting stent in accordance with certain OFDI and IVUS criteria for optimal stent deployment. All patients will undergo follow-up angiography and OFDI imaging at 8 months. The primary endpoint is the minimum lumen area, as measured by OFDI at 8 months.

CONCLUSION

The OPINION ACS trial outcomes will provide insights regarding the impact of OFDI-guided PCI on in-stent restenosis at 8 months in patients with ACS.

Long-Term Outcomes of Coronary Stenting With and Without Use of Intravascular Ultrasound

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to explore if intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) use in real-world patients is associated with improved long-term outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

BACKGROUND

The benefit of IVUS use with PCI in real world is uncertain.

METHODS

We identified Medicare patients who underwent PCI from 2009 to 2017 and evaluated the association of IVUS use with long-term risk of mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), and repeat revascularization. We used propensity score matching and inverse probability weighting to adjust for baseline characteristics. To account for hospital effects, patients undergoing IVUS-guided PCI were matched to non-IVUS patients in the same hospital and year. Sensitivity analyses comparing outcomes with and without IVUS in stable coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome, PCI with bare-metal stents and drug-eluting stents, complex and noncomplex PCI, and facilities with 1% to 5%, 5% to 10%, and >10% IVUS use were performed.

RESULTS

Overall, IVUS was used in 5.6% of all PCI patients (105,787 out of 1,877,177 patients). Patients with IVUS-guided PCI had a higher prevalence of most comorbidities. In the propensity matched analysis, IVUS-guided PCI was associated with lower 1-year mortality (11.5% vs. 12.3%), MI (4.9% vs. 5.2%), and repeat revascularization (6.1% vs. 6.7%) (p < 0.001 for all). In inverse probability weighting analysis with a median follow-up of 3.7 years (interquartile range: 1.7 to 6.4 years), IVUS-guided PCI was associated with a lower risk of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.903; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.885 to 0.922), MI (aHR: 0.899; 95% CI: 0.893 to 0.904), and repeat revascularization (aHR: 0.893; 95% CI: 0.887 to 0.898) (p < 0.001 for all). These findings were consistent in all subgroups in sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

In this contemporary U.S. Medicare cohort, the use of IVUS guidance in PCI remains low. Use of IVUS is associated with lower long-term mortality, MI, and repeat revascularization.

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

Background

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) offers tomographic images of the coronary vessels, allowing optimization of stent implantation at the time of PCI. However, the long‐term beneficial effect of IVUS over PCI guided by coronary angiography (CA) alone remains under question. We sought to investigate the outcomes of IVUS‐guided compared with CA‐guided PCI.

Methods and Results

We performed a comprehensive search of PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane Central Register, looking for randomized controlled trials and observational studies that compared PCI outcomes of IVUS with CA. Data were aggregated for the primary outcome measure using the random‐effects model as pooled risk ratio (RR). The primary outcomes were the rate of cardiovascular death, need for target lesion revascularization, occurrence of myocardial infarction, and rate of stent thrombosis. A total of 19 studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 27 610 patients divided into IVUS (n=11 513) and CA (n=16 097). Compared with standard CA‐guided PCI, we found that the risks of cardiovascular death (RR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.54–0.73), myocardial infarction (RR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.58–0.86), target lesion revascularization (RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.70–0.94), and stent thrombosis (RR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.41–0.79) were all significantly lower using IVUS guidance.

Conclusions

Compared with standard CA‐guided PCI, the use of IVUS imaging guidance to optimize stent implantation is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular death and major adverse events, such as myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization, and stent thrombosis.

Trends and Outcomes of Intravascular Imaging-guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the United States

INTRODUCTION

Intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has shown to improve outcomes in randomized controlled trials. However, there are little real-world data about intravascular imaging utilization during PCI and its outcomes in the United States.

METHODS

We conducted an observational analysis on the use of intravascular imaging (Intravascular Ultrasound or Optical Coherence Tomography)-guided PCI in 2,425,036 patients undergoing PCI between January 2010 and December 2014 from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database. Utilizing propensity score matching, 83,988 matched pairs were identified. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcomes included cardiogenic shock and acute kidney injury.

RESULTS

Among the 2,425,036 patients, 161,808 (6.7%) underwent imaging-guided PCI. Use of imaging-guidance increased from 6% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2014 (Ptrend < 0.001). The in-hospital mortality was significantly different between imaging-guided PCI and angiography-guided PCI [1.0% vs. 1.5%; adjusted OR: 0.67; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54-0.83, P < 0.001]. The rates of cardiogenic shock (2.5% vs. 3.1%; adjusted OR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.66-0.93; P = 0.005) were significantly lower in imaging-guided PCI group and acute kidney injury rates (7.0% vs. 7.1%; adjusted OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.89-1.12; P = 0.919) were not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONS

Imaging-guided PCI is associated with lower in-hospital mortality. Yet, a small proportion of patients undergoing PCI have imaging-guidance.

Intravascular ultrasound versus angiography-guided drug-eluting stent implantation in patients with complex coronary lesions: An updated meta-analysis of nine randomized clinical trials

Objective:

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is not routinely performed in the real-world practice, and the benefits of IVUS-guided drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in patients with complex coronary lesions remains unclear. This updated meta-analysis attempts to evaluate the clinical outcomes of the IVUS guidance in these patients.

Methods:

We searched potential eligible citations from the PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, and other internet sources. The primary endpoint were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), and target vessel revascularization (TVR). The risk of definite/probable stent thrombosis (ST) was chosen as the safety endpoint.

Results:

Nine randomized trials including a total of 3,612 patients with complex coronary lesions were finally analyzed. Compared to angiography guidance, IVUS-guided DES implantation was associated with significantly lower incidence of MACE [odds ratios (OR) 0.57, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.45–0.72, p<0.001; I²=0.0%, p=0.674], cardiac death (OR 0.42, 95%CI:0.21–0.82, p=0.010; I²=0.0%, p=0.961), MI (OR 0.65, 95%CI:0.44–0.95, p=0.027; I²=41.8%, p=0.089), TVR (OR 0.55, 95%CI:0.38–0.79, p=0.001; I²=0.0%, p=0.916), target lesion revascularization (TLR) (OR 0.58, 95%CI:0.41–0.82, p=0.002; I²=0.0%, p=0.888), and ST (OR 0.48, 95%CI:0.24–0.93, p=0.029; I²=0.0%, p=0.733).

Conclusion:

The updated meta-analysis demonstrates that DES implantation under IVUS guidance leads to a significant reduction in MACE, cardiac death, MI, TVR, TLR, and ST among patients with complex coronary lesions.

Intravascular ultrasound guidance improves patient survival (mortality) after drug-eluting stent implantation: review and updated bibliography

Individual studies IVUS vs angiography-guided DES implantation studies, whether randomized clinical trials or registries are underpowered, to show a reduction in mortality, especially at 1 year of follow-up. However, either meta-analyses or the few studies with long-term (> 5 year) follow-up showed that IVUS guidance reduced mortality and improved patient survival, even with second-generation DES.

Modern-Day Nationwide Utilization of Intravascular Ultrasound and Its Impact on the Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Coronary Atherectomy in the United States

OBJECTIVES

Intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) and coronary atherectomy (CA) are useful modalities in managing calcified coronary lesions. Considering an inadequacy of data, we aimed to compare the outcomes with versus without IVUS assistance in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) with CA.

METHODS

From the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample data set for the years 2012 to 2014, we identified adult patients undergoing PCI and CA with or without IVUS assistance using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. We assessed the impact of IVUS on procedural outcomes, length of stay, total hospital charges, and predictors of IVUS utilization by multivariable analyses. Discharge weights were used to calculate national estimates.

RESULTS

A total of 46,095 PCIs with CA procedures were performed from 2012 to 2014, of these, 4800 (10.4%) procedures were IVUS-assisted. IVUS-assisted procedures showed lower odds of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 0.57; P = .024) but higher odds of any cardiac complication (odds ratio, 1.25; P = .025). Total hospital charges were higher in IVUS-assisted procedures without any substantial difference in the length of stay between the groups. Cardiac complication rates declined (from 16.2% to 14.8%) from 2012 to 2014, whereas inpatient mortality increased (1.1%-4.4%) in IVUS-assisted procedures during the same period. The odds of IVUS utilization were higher in Asian/Pacific Islander and urban teaching and western region hospitals. Comorbidities, including hypertension, obesity, and chronic pulmonary disease, raised odds of IVUS utilization.

CONCLUSIONS

IVUS-assisted procedures showed lower in-hospital mortality and higher iatrogenic and overall cardiac complications. The mortality rate in patients undergoing IVUS-assisted PCI with CA was on the rise, with declining cardiac complication rates from 2012 to 2014.

Incidence, angiographic and clinical predictors, and impact of stent thrombosis: a 6-year survey of 6,545 consecutive patients

Objective

We sought to determine the incidence, angiographic predictors, and impact of stent thrombosis (ST).

Background

Given the high mortality after ST, this study emphasises the importance of ongoing efforts to identify angiographic predictors of ST.

Methods

All consecutive patients with angiographically confirmed ST between 2010 and 2016 were 1:4 matched for (1) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) indication and (2) index date ±6 weeks to randomly selected controls. Index PCI angiograms were reassessed by two independent cardiologists. A multivariable conditional logistic regression model was built to identify independent predictors of ST.

Results

Of 6,545 consecutive patients undergoing PCI, 55 patients [0.84%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63–1.10%] presented with definite ST. Multivariable logistic regression identified dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) non-use as the strongest predictor of ST (odds ratio (OR) 10.9, 95% CI 2.47–48.5, p < 0.001), followed by: stent underexpansion (OR 5.70, 95% CI 2.39–13.6, p < 0.001), lesion complexity B2/C (OR 4.32, 95% CI 1.43–13.1, p = 0.010), uncovered edge dissection (OR 4.16, 95% CI 1.47–11.8, p = 0.007), diabetes mellitus (OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.25–8.36, p = 0.016), and residual coronary artery disease at the stent edge (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.02–8.92, p = 0.045). ST was associated with increased rates of mortality as analysed by Kaplan-Meier estimates (27.3 vs 11.3%, p_log-rank < 0.001) and adjusted Cox proportional-hazard regression (hazard ratio 2.29, 95% CI 1.03–5.10, p = 0.042).

Conclusions

ST remains a serious complication following PCI with a high rate of mortality. DAPT non-use was associated with the highest risk of ST, followed by various angiographic parameters and high lesion complexity.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s12471-019-1253-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Safety and Long-Term Efficacy of Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty following Rotational Atherectomy for Severely Calcified Coronary Lesions Compared with New Generation Drug-Eluting Stents

Objectives

This study sought to assess the safety and long-term efficacy of drug-coated balloons (DCB) following aggressive intracoronary image-guided rotational atherectomy (iRA) for severe coronary artery calcification (CAC), and to compare this strategy with new generation drug-eluting stents (nDES) following iRA.

Background

Ischemic events following the treatment of CAC is still relatively high. Thus, more innovative strategies are required.

Methods

We evaluated 123 consecutive patients (166 lesions) with de novo CAC undergoing an iRA (burr size; 0.7 of the mean reference diameter by intracoronary imaging) followed by DCB (DCB-iRA; 54 patients, 68 lesions) or nDES (nDES-iRA; 69 patients, 98 lesions). Follow-up angiography was obtained at > 6 months.

Results

The target vessels (right coronary and circumflex), bifurcation (67.6% versus 47.9%), reference diameter (2.28mm versus 2.49mm), and lesion length (11.89mm versus 18.78mm) were significantly different between the two groups. The median follow-up was 732 days. TLR and TVR in DCB-iRA and nDES-iRA at 3 years were similar: 15.6% versus 16.3% (P=0.99) and 15.6% versus 23.3% (P=0.38). In 41 well-matched lesion pairs after propensity score analysis, the cumulative incidence of TLR and TVR in DCB-iRA and nDES-iRA at 3 years was 12.9% versus 16.3% (P=0.70) and 12.9% versus 26.1% (P=0.17), respectively. On QCA analysis, although the acute gain was smaller in DCB-iRA (0.85 mm versus 1.53 mm, P<0.001), the minimum lumen diameter at follow-up was similar (1.69 mm versus 1.87 mm, P=0.29). The late lumen loss was lower (0.09 mm versus 0.52 mm, P=0.009) in DCB-iRA.

Conclusions

DCB-iRA is feasible for CAC.

Treatment of Bifurcation Lesions: Has DK Crush"ed" the Competition?

PURPOSE

This paper reviews the double-kiss crush (DK crush) technique in coronary artery bifurcation lesions. The technical aspects of the procedure and the clinical data supporting its use are summarized.

RECENT FINDINGS

Randomized studies support the adoption of DK technique in complex bifurcation lesions for both left main and non-left-main lesions. For true bifurcation lesions, DK crush may become the default technique for lesions in which the side-branch disease is complex and long. Optimal technique is essential for obtaining the clinical outcomes noted in the DKCRUSH randomized studies.

The outcomes of intravascular ultrasound-guided drug-eluting stent implantation among patients with complex coronary lesions: a comprehensive meta-analysis of 15 clinical trials and 8,084 patients

Objective:

The effects of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in patients with complex coronary artery lesions remains to be controversial. This study sought to evaluate the outcomes of IVUS guidance in these patients.

Methods:

The EMBASE, Medline, and other internet sources were searched for relevant articles. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), and target-vessel revascularization (TVR). The incidence of definite/probable stent thrombosis (ST) was analyzed as the safety endpoint.

Results:

Fifteen clinical trials involving 8.084 patients were analyzed. MACE risk was significantly decreased following IVUS-guided DES implantation compared with coronary angiography (CAG) guidance (odds ratio [OR] 0.63, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.53–0.73, p<0.001), which might mainly result from the lower all-cause mortality risk (OR 0.52, 95% CI: 0.40–0.67, p<0.001), MI (OR 0.70, 95% CI: 0.56–0.86, p=0.001), and TVR (OR 0.53, 95% CI: 0.40–0.70, p<0.001). The subgroup analyses indicated better outcomes of IVUS guidance in DES implantation for these patients with left main disease or bifurcation lesions.

Conclusion:

IVUS guidance in DES implantation is associated with a significant reduction in MACE risk in patients with complex lesions, particularly those with left main disease or bifurcation lesions. More large and powerful randomized trials are still warranted to guide stenting decision making. (Anatol J Cardiol 2017; 17: 258-68)

Optical Coherence Tomography-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Prospective Propensity-Matched Cohort of the Thrombectomy Versus Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Alone Trial

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction are at increased risk for adverse events. It is unclear if image guidance by optical coherence tomography (OCT) can improve outcomes in these patients. We compared OCT-guided versus angiography-guided primary PCI for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction among patients in the Thrombectomy Versus PCI Alone (TOTAL) trial.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Among 10 732 patients enrolled in the TOTAL trial, OCT was used for PCI guidance as a part of a prospective substudy in 214 patients. Using 2:1 propensity matching, we identified 428 patients in the trial who had PCI performed with angiography guidance alone. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, and target-vessel revascularization at 1 year. Secondary outcomes included final in-stent angiographic minimum lumen diameter, procedure time, and contrast dose. The final in-stent angiographic minimum lumen diameter was 2.99±0.48 mm in the OCT-guided group versus 2.79±0.47 mm in the angiography-guided group (P<0.0001). OCT- and angiography-guided PCI had a median (interquartile range) procedure time of 58 (47, 71) minute versus 38 (28, 52) minute (P<0.0001) and total contrast dose of 239.7±81.1 mL versus 193.3±78.6 mL (P<0.0001). The primary outcome was observed in 7.5% of the OCT-guided group versus 9.8% of the angiography-guided group (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.43-1.34; P=0.34).

CONCLUSIONS

OCT-guided primary PCI for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction was associated with a larger final in-stent minimum lumen diameter. There was no significant difference in clinical outcomes at 1 year; however, the study was underpowered to detect a treatment effect.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01149044.

Prediction of cardiovascular outcomes by imaging coronary atherosclerosis

Over the last two decades, several invasive and non-invasive coronary atherosclerosis imaging modalities have emerged as predictors of cardiovascular outcomes in at-risk population. These modalities have demonstrated independent or incremental prognostic information over existing/standard risk stratification schemes, such as the Framingham risk score (FRS), by identifying characteristics of coronary artery diseases (CADs). In this review, we begin with discussing the importance of pre-test probability and quality of outcome measure, followed by specific findings of each modality in relation to prognosis. We focused on both short and long term prognostic aspects of coronary computed tomography (CT) (including coronary calcium score and coronary angiography) and magnetic resonance imaging as non-invasive tools, as well as invasive modalities including intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT), near infrared spectroscopy and Angioscopy.

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).

Effect of Serum Fibrinogen, Total Stent Length, and Type of Acute Coronary Syndrome on 6-Month Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and Bleeding After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

This study evaluated the relation between baseline fibrinogen and 6-month major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Three hundred eighty-seven subjects (65.6 ± 16.1 years, 69.5% men, 26.9% acute coronary syndrome [ACS]) who underwent PCI with baseline fibrinogen and platelet reactivity (VerifyNow P2Y12 assay, Accumetrics, San Diego, California) measured were enrolled. Fibrinogen (368.8 ± 144.1 vs 316.8 ± 114.3 mg/dl; p = 0.001), total stent length (TSL; 44.5 ± 25.0 vs 32.2 ± 20.1 mm; p <0.001), and ACS presentation (40.6% vs 23.9%; p = 0.005) were independently associated with 6-month MACE rates (17.8%: myocardial infarction 9.8%, rehospitalization for ACS 3.6%, urgent revascularization 3.6%, stroke 0.5%, and death 0.3%). Measures of platelet reactivity were not associated with 6-month MACE. After multivariate analysis, fibrinogen ≥280 mg/dl (odds ratio [OR] 2.60, 95% CI 1.33 to 5.11, p = 0.005), TSL ≥32 mm (OR 3.21, 95% CI 1.82 to 5.64, p <0.001), and ACS presentation (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.45 to 4.61, p = 0.001) were associated with higher 6-month MACE. In 271 subjects receiving chronic P2Y12 inhibitor therapy, 6-month Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction bleeding after PCI was 7.0%, but no difference in fibrinogen level (338.3 ± 109.7 vs 324.3 ± 113.8 mg/dl, p = 0.60) stratified by Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction bleeding was observed. In conclusion, elevated serum fibrinogen, ACS presentation, and longer TSL are independently associated with higher 6-month MACE after PCI, whereas no association with on-thienopyridine platelet reactivity and 6-month MACE was observed. Post-PCI bleeding was not associated with lower fibrinogen level.

Comparison of Bare-Metal Stent and Drug-Eluting Stent for the Treatment of Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Disease - Long-Term Result from a Single Center Experience

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become an alternative treatment for left main (LM) coronary artery disease. The aim of our study was to compare long-term clinical outcomes of patients undergoing unprotected LM PCI with bare-metal stent (BMS) or drug-eluting stent (DES) in a high-risk population.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We enrolled 223 consecutive patients with unprotected LM coronary artery disease undergoing PCI (mean age: 71.1 ± 11.2 years, 187 male), including 94 patients receiving BMS and 129 patients receiving DES. The patients receiving DES had a significantly higher SYNTAX score (p = 0.05). During the mean follow-up period of 2.5 years, there were 31 cardiovascular deaths (BMS: 21 cases, DES: 10 cases, p = 0.04 by log-rank test), 56 major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE, including cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) and clinical-driven target lesion revascularization; BMS: 33 cases, DES: 23 cases, p = 0.03 by log-rank test) and 6 cases with definite/probable stent thrombosis (BMS: 5 cases, DES: 1 cases, p = 0.09). In multivariate Cox analysis, the use of DES was identified as an independent protective factor against cardiovascular death [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.34, 95% confidence interval (Cl) = 0.15-0.79, p = 0.01] and MACE (HR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.28-0.88, p = 0.02). The clinical outcome analyses in propensity-score matched the cohort (87 matched pair of patients receiving BMS and DES) and yielded similar results.

CONCLUSIONS

In the general practice among a high-risk population undergoing unprotected LM PCI, the use of DES appeared to be beneficial in reducing the risk of long-term cardiovascular death and MACE.

KEY WORDS

Bare-mental stent; Drug-eluting stent; Left main coronary artery disease; Percutaneous coronary intervention.

Intravascular ultrasound-guided drug-eluting stent implantation: An updated meta-analysis of randomized control trials and observational studies

The use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance for drug-eluting stent (DES) optimization is limited by the number of adequately powered randomized control trials (RCTs). We performed an updated meta-analysis, including data from recently published RCTs and observational studies, by reviewing the literature in Medline and the Cochrane Library to identify studies that compared clinical outcomes between IVUS-guided and angiography-guided DES implantation from January 1995 to January 2016. This meta-analysis included 25 eligible studies, including 31,283 patients, of whom 3192 patients were enrolled in 7 RCTs. In an analysis of all 25 studies, the summary results for all the events analyzed were significantly in favor of IVUS-guided DES implantation [major adverse cardiac events (MACE, odds ratio [OR] 0.76, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.70-0.82, P<0.001); death (OR 0.62, 95% CI: 0.54-0.72, P<0.001); myocardial infarction (OR 0.67, 95% CI: 0.56-0.80, P<0.001); stent thrombosis (OR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.47-0.73, P<0.001); target lesion revascularization (TLR, OR 0.77, 95% CI: 0.67-0.89, P=0.005); target vessel revascularization (TVR, OR 0.85, 95% CI: 0.76-0.95, P<0.001)]. However, in a separate analysis of RCTs, a favorable result for IVUS-guided DES implantation was found only for MACE (OR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.52-0.84, P=0.001), TLR (OR 0.61, 95% CI: 0.43-0.87, P=0.006), and TVR (OR 0.61, 95% CI: 0.41-0.90, P=0.013). IVUS-guided percutaneous coronary intervention was associated with better overall clinical outcomes than angiography-guided DES implantation. However, in a solely RCT meta-analysis, this benefit was mainly driven by reduced rates of revascularizations.

Understanding the economic impact of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)

AIMS

To examine the cost-effectiveness of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) use during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) in treating coronary artery disease (CAD).

METHODS AND RESULTS

A Markov model was constructed with a lifetime horizon to compare costs and health outcomes between IVUS-guided PCI and PCI guided solely by angiography from an Italian healthcare payer perspective. The population examined included CAD patients undergoing PCI with DES. From a healthcare payer perspective, the resulting incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life-year was negative in the base-case scenario (i.e., IVUS benefit assumed to persist beyond the first year). When IVUS benefit was assumed to be limited to the first year, the ICER increased to €9,624. This conclusion remained consistent even when scenarios varied regarding the duration of the device's effect. Furthermore, benefits of using IVUS were greater for patients with acute coronary syndrome, renal insufficiency, and diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Using IVUS with angiography is a dominant strategy in Italy, and results demonstrate that it is desirable to target those at a greater risk of restenosis (i.e., patients with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and acute coronary syndrome), who tend to benefit more from accurate stent implantation. Further information is necessary regarding the long-term benefits of IVUS, however sensitivity analysis presented in this research demonstrates a strong argument supporting the cost-effectiveness of IVUS.

Usefulness of Frequency Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Compared with Intravascular Ultrasound as a Guidance for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

OBJECTIVES

To compare outcomes and rates of optimal stent placement between optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

BACKGROUND

Unlike IVUS-guided PCI, rates of clinical outcomes and optimal stent placement have not been well characterized for OCT-guided PCI.

METHODS

The study enrolled 290 patients who underwent implantation of a second generation drug eluting stent under OCT (122 patients) or IVUS (168 patients) guidance. The two groups were compared after adjusting for baseline differences using 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) (114 patients in each group). Optimal stent placement was defined as achieving an adequate lumen (optimal minimum stent area [MSA > 4.85 mm(2) for OCT, >5 mm(2) for IVUS] or a final MSA ≥ 90% of the distal reference lumen area, without edge dissection, incomplete stent apposition, or tissue prolapse), or otherwise performing additional interventions to address suboptimal post-stenting OCT or IVUS findings. The primary endpoint was one-year cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE; cardiac death, myocardial infarction and target lesion revascularization). Definite or probable stent thrombosis (ST) rates were evaluated.

RESULTS

In adjusted comparisons between OCT and IVUS groups, there was no significant difference in rates of MACE (3.5% vs. 3.5%, P = 1.000) and ST (0% vs. 0.9%, P = 1.000) at 1 year, optimal stent placement (89.5% vs. 92.1%, P = 0.492), and further intervention (7.9% vs.13.2%, P = 0.234), despite OCT significantly more frequently detecting tissue prolapse (97.4% vs. 47.4%, P < 0.001), and numerically more edge dissection (10.5% vs. 4.4%, P = 0.078) or incomplete stent apposition (48.2% vs. 36.8%, P = 0.082).

CONCLUSIONS

OCT guidance showed comparable results to IVUS in mid-term clinical outcomes, suggesting that OCT can be an alternative tool for stent placement optimization.

A Comparison of Intravascular Imaging Modalities for Detection of Stent Struts in Acute Coronary Syndrome

BACKGROUND

We used optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to assess the struts of implanted stents in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODS

A totle of 10,756 stent struts were analyzed with OCT in 42 patients of ACS. Of them, both of IVUS and OCT imaging were performed in 33 patients. Appearance of stent struts was classified as well apposed, buried, malapposed, and nondetectable, and the number of stent struts were counted by OCT and IVUS was compared.

RESULTS

Most of stent struts were well apposed (78.1%, 8,407/10,756). However, malapposed struts were 5.6% (607/10,756), and 14.1% (1,514/10,756) of stent struts were buried by thrombus. The nondetectable struts were 2.11% (228/10,756) in ACS. 94.7% (216/228) of nondetectable stent struts were associated with red thrombus, and plaque prolapse was in 5.3% (12/228). The number of stent struts counted by OCT were larger than that of IVUS. The mean number of stent struts at the proximal and distal stent edges were 24 ± 6.57 in OCT, the stent struts IVUS counted were 20 ± 4.18 (P < 0.0001). Although the frequency of malapposed struts were similar 4.6% (376/8,248) in OCT versus 4.8% (369/7,674) in IVUS (P = 0.788). Stent struts were often buried by thrombus in ACS 15.2% (1,252/8,248) in OCT versus 9.7% (747/7,674) in IVUS; P = 0.006. The nondetectable struts were fewer in IVUS than OCT 0.2% (16/7,674) in IVUS versus 2.2% (187/8,248) in OCT; P < 0.0001.

CONCLUSION

Stent struts are frequently buried and nondetectable due to thrombi burden in ACS patients. Adequate thrombus removal and proper selection of the imaging device is warranted in ACS.

Optical frequency domain imaging vs. intravascular ultrasound in percutaneous coronary intervention (OPINION trial): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Optical coherence tomography is becoming increasingly widespread as an adjunctive intravascular diagnostic technique in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), because of its ability to visualize coronary structures at high resolution. Several studies have reported that intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance in PCI might be helpful to reduce subsequent stent thrombosis, restenosis, repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction, and cardiac death. The OPtical frequency domain imaging vs. INtravascular ultrasound in percutaneous coronary InterventiON (OPINION) trial is aimed at evaluating the impact of optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) guidance in PCI on clinical outcomes compared with IVUS guidance.

METHODS AND DESIGN

The OPINION trial is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, controlled, open-label, parallel group, non-inferiority trial in Japan. The eligible patients are randomly assigned to receive either OFDI-guided PCI or IVUS-guided PCI. PCI is performed using the biolimus-eluting stent in accordance with a certain criteria of OFDI and IVUS for optimal stent deployment. All patients will undergo a follow-up angiography at 8 months. The primary endpoint is target vessel failure composed of cardiac death, myocardial infarction attributed to the target vessel, and clinically-driven target vessel revascularization at 12 months.

CONCLUSION

When completed, the OPINION trial will contribute to define the clinical value of the OFDI guidance in PCI.