Learning curve of the Inoue technique of percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty

Transradial versus transfemoral access for cardiac catheterization: a nationwide pilot study of training preferences and expertise in The United States

BACKGROUND

The objective was to assess current training preferences, expertise, and comfort with transfemoral access (TFA) and transradial access (TRA) amongst cardiovascular training fellows and teaching faculty in the United States. As TRA continues to dominate the field of interventional cardiology, there is a concern that trainees may become less proficient with the femoral approach.

METHODS

A detailed questionnaire was sent out to academic General Cardiovascular and Interventional Cardiology training programs in the United States. Responses were sought from fellows-in-training and faculty regarding preferences and practice of TFA and TRA. Answers were analyzed for significant differences between trainees and trainers.

RESULTS

A total of 125 respondents (75 fellows-in-training and 50 faculty) completed and returned the survey. The average grade of comfort for TFA, on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being most comfortable), was reported to be 6 by fellows-in-training and 10 by teaching faculty (p < 0.001). TRA was the first preference in 95% of the fellows-in-training compared to 69% of teaching faculty (p 0.001). While 62% of fellows believed that they would receive the same level of training as their trainers by the time they graduate, only 35% of their trainers believed so (p 0.004).

CONCLUSION

The shift from TFA to radial first has resulted in significant concern among cardiovascular fellows-in training and the faculty regarding training in TFA. Cardiovascular training programs must be cognizant of this issue and should devise methods to assure optimal training of fellows in gaining TFA and managing femoral access-related complications.

The Benefits Conferred by Radial Access for Cardiac Catheterization Are Offset by a Paradoxical Increase in the Rate of Vascular Access Site Complications With Femoral Access: The Campeau Radial Paradox

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to assess whether the benefits conferred by radial access (RA) at an individual level are offset by a proportionally greater incidence of vascular access site complications (VASC) at a population level when femoral access (FA) is performed.

BACKGROUND

The recent widespread adoption of RA for cardiac catheterization has been associated with increased rates of VASCs when FA is attempted.

METHODS

Logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted VASC rate in a contemporary cohort of consecutive patients (2006 to 2008) where both RA and FA were used, and compared it with the adjusted VASC rate observed in a historical control cohort (1996 to 1998) where only FA was used. We calculated the adjusted attributable risk to estimate the proportion of VASC attributable to the introduction of RA in FA patients of the contemporary cohort.

RESULTS

A total of 17,059 patients were included. At a population level, the VASC rate was higher in the overall contemporary cohort compared with the historical cohort (adjusted rates: 2.91% vs. 1.98%; odds ratio [OR]: 1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17 to 1.89; p = 0.001). In the contemporary cohort, RA patients experienced fewer VASC than FA patients (adjusted rates: 1.44% vs. 4.19%; OR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.48; p < 0.001). We observed a higher VASC rate in FA patients in the contemporary cohort compared with the historical cohort (adjusted rates: 4.19% vs. 1.98%; OR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.67 to 2.81; p < 0.001). This finding was consistent for both diagnostic and therapeutic catheterizations separately. The proportion of VASCs attributable to RA in the contemporary FA patients was estimated at 52.7%.

CONCLUSIONS

In a contemporary population where both RA and FA were used, the safety benefit associated with RA is offset by a paradoxical increase in VASCs among FA patients. The existence of this radial paradox should be taken into consideration, especially among trainees and default radial operators.

The echo score revisited: Impact of incorporating commissural morphology and leaflet displacement to the prediction of outcome for patients undergoing percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty

BACKGROUND

Current echocardiographic scoring systems for percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) have limitations. This study examined new, more quantitative methods for assessing valvular involvement and the combination of parameters that best predicts immediate and long-term outcome after PMV.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Two cohorts (derivation n=204 and validation n=121) of patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis undergoing PMV were studied. Mitral valve morphology was assessed by using both the conventional Wilkins qualitative parameters and novel quantitative parameters, including the ratio between the commissural areas and the maximal excursion of the leaflets from the annulus in diastole. Independent predictors of outcome were assigned a points value proportional to their regression coefficients: mitral valve area ≤1 cm(2) (2), maximum leaflets displacement ≤12 mm (3), commissural area ratio ≥1.25 (3), and subvalvular involvement (3). Three risk groups were defined: low (score of 0-3), intermediate (score of 5), and high (score of 6-11) with observed suboptimal PMV results of 16.9%, 56.3%, and 73.8%, respectively. The use of the same scoring system in the validation cohort yielded suboptimal PMV results of 11.8%, 72.7%, and 87.5% in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, respectively. The model improved risk classification in comparison with the Wilkins score (net reclassification improvement 45.2%; P<0.0001). Long-term outcome was predicted by age and postprocedural variables, including mitral regurgitation, mean gradient, and pulmonary pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

A scoring system incorporating new quantitative echocardiographic parameters more accurately predicts outcome following PMV than existing models. Long-term post-PMV event-free survival was predicted by age, degree of mitral regurgitation, and postprocedural hemodynamic data.

Percutaneous Mitral Balloon Valvuloplasty for Patients with Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis

Percutaneous balloon dilatation of stenotic cardiac valves is used for the treatment of pulmonic, mitral, aortic, and tricuspid stenosis. Percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty (PMV) has been used successfully as an alternative to open or closed surgical mitral commissurotomy in the treatment of symptomatic rheumatic mitral stenosis. PMV produces good immediate hemodynamic outcome, low complication rates, and clinical improvement in the majority of patients. PMV is safe and effective and provides clinical and hemodynamic improvement in rheumatic mitral stenosis. PMV is the preferred form of therapy for relief of mitral stenosis for a selected group of patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis.

Predictors of developing significant mitral regurgitation following percutaneous mitral commissurotomy with inoue balloon technique

Background. Despite the high technical expertise in percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PMC), mitral regurgitation (MR) remains a major procedure-related complication. The aim of this work is to find out the most sensitive and applicable predictors of development of significant mitral regurgitation (SMR) following percutaneous mitral commissurotomy using Inoue balloon technique. Methods. We studied prospectively the preprocedural (clinical, echocardiography, and hemodynamic) and procedural predictors of significant mitral regurgitation (identified as increase of ≥2/4 grades of pre-PMC MR by color Doppler flow mapping) following valvuloplasty using Inoue balloon in 108 consecutive patients with severe mitral stenosis. Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed for variables found positive on univariate analysis to determine the most important predictor(s) of developing SMR. Results. The incidence of SMR following PMC using Inoue technique was 18.5% (10 patients). MV scoring systems were the only variables that showed significant differences between both groups (Group A without SMR and Group B with SMR). However, no clinical, other echocardiographic measurements, hemodynamic or procedural variables could predict the development of SMR. Using multiple regression analysis, the best predictive factor for the risk of SMR after Inoue BMV was the total MR-echo score with a cutoff point of 7 and a predictive percentage of 97.7%. Conclusions. The total MR-echo score is the only independent predictor of SMR following PMC using Inoue technique with a cutoff point of 7.

Contemporary application of cardiovascular hemodynamics: transcatheter mitral valve interventions

Since the development and refinement of echocardiography, this technique has, for some time, been the mainstay for hemodynamic assessment of the mitral valve. This article discusses the key components of the invasive hemodynamic assessment of mitral valve disease and illustrates their utility through percutaneous transluminal mitral valvuloplasty for mitral stenosis and the novel transcatheter mitral valve repair using the MitraClip for mitral regurgitation. Changes in left atrial pressure and waveform, mean gradient, and cardiac output are critical assessment parameters for both safety and efficacy. Invasive hemodynamic assessment is an essential complement to echocardiography for the optimal guidance of these procedures.

Is there a July phenomenon? The effect of July admission on intensive care mortality and length of stay in teaching hospitals

BACKGROUND

It has been suggested that inexperience of new housestaff early in an academic year may worsen patient outcomes. Yet, few studies have evaluated the "July Phenomenon," and no studies have investigated its effect in intensive care patients, a group that may be particularly susceptible to deficiencies in management stemming from housestaff inexperience.

OBJECTIVE

Compare hospital mortality and length of stay (LOS) in intensive care unit (ICU) admissions from July to September to admissions during other months, and compare that relationship in teaching and nonteaching hospitals, and in surgical and nonsurgical patients.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS

Retrospective cohort analysis of 156,136 consecutive eligible patients admitted to 38 ICUs in 28 hospitals in Northeast Ohio from 1991 to 1997.

RESULTS

Adjusting for admission severity of illness using the APACHE III methodology, the odds of death was similar for admissions from July through September, relative to the mean for all months, in major (odds ratio [OR], 0.96; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.91 to 1.02; P =.18), minor (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.10; P =.66), and nonteaching hospitals (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.01; P =.09). The adjusted difference in ICU LOS was similar for admissions from July through September in major (0.3%; 95% CI, -0.7% to 1.2%; P =.61) and minor (0.2%; 95% CI, -0.9% to 1.4%; P =.69) teaching hospitals, but was somewhat shorter in nonteaching hospitals (-0.8%; 95% CI, -1.4% to -0.1%; P =.03). Results were similar when individual months and academic years were examined separately, and in stratified analyses of surgical and nonsurgical patients.

CONCLUSIONS

We found no evidence to support the existence of a July phenomenon in ICU patients. Future studies should examine organizational factors that allow hospitals and residency programs to compensate for inexperience of new housestaff early in the academic year.

The long-term outcome of balloon valvuloplasty for mitral stenosis

Percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PMC) is the treatment of choice in young patients who have favorable valve anatomy. It affords an event-free survival greater than 90% at 5 to 7 years,. Economic considerations are the main limitation of PMC in such patients, who are mainly encountered in developing countries. Mitral stenosis in older patients with less favorable valve anatomy is the most frequent presentation in Western countries. This represents a heterogeneous group, but predictive analyses are helpful in deciding who should have PMC. The main conclusion is that the prediction of immediate and late results is multifactorial. Good results can be expected in young patients with unfavorable valve anatomy who do not have a very tight stenosis, are moderately symptomatic, and in sinus rhythm. In addition, PMC may reduce the thromboembolic risk related to mitral stenosis.