Percutaneous coronary intervention vs. coronary artery bypass grafting for left main revascularization: an updated meta-analysis

Drug-coated balloon-only strategy for percutaneous coronary intervention of de novo left main coronary artery disease: the importance of proper lesion preparation

This retrospective single-center registry study included all consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for a de novo left main coronary artery lesion using drug coated-balloon (DCB)-only strategy between August 2011 and December 2018. To best of our knowledge, no previous studies of DCB-only strategy of treating de novo left main coronary artery disease, exist. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) including cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization (TLR). The cohort was divided into two groups depending on weather the lesion preparation was done according to the international consensus group guidelines. Sixty-six patients (mean age 75±8.6, 72% male), 52% of whom had acute coronary syndrome, underwent left main PCI with the DCB-only strategy. No procedural mortality and no acute closures of the treated left main occurred. At 12 months, MACE and TLR occurred in 24% and 6% of the whole cohort, respectively. If the lesion preparation was done according to the guidelines, the MACE and TLR rates were 21.2% and 1.9%. Left main PCI with the DCB only-strategy is safe leading to acceptable MACE and low TLR rates at one year, if the lesion preparation is done according to the guidelines.

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Brings Better Benefits to Heart Failure Hospitalization for Patients with Severe Coronary Artery Disease and Reduced Ejection Fraction

Objectives: We compared the outcomes between percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) for revascularization in patients with reduced ejection fraction (EF) and severe coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: Between February 2006 and February 2020, a total of 797 patients received coronary angiograms due to left ventricular EF ≤ 40% at our hospital. After excluding diagnoses of dilated cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, prior CABG, acute ST-segment myocardial infarction, and CAD with low Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score (≤22), 181 patients with severe coronary artery disease (CAD) with SYNTAX score >22 underwent CABG or PCI for revascularization. Vascular characteristics as well as echocardiographic data were compared between CABG (n = 58) and PCI (n = 123) groups. Results: A younger age (62 ± 9.0 vs. 66 ± 12.1; p = 0.016), higher new EuroSCORE II (8.6 ± 7.3 vs. 3.2 ± 2.0; p < 0.001), and higher SYNTAX score (40.5 ± 9.8 vs. 35.4 ± 8.3; p < 0.001) were noted in the CABG group compared to those in the PCI group. The CABG group had a significantly higher cardiovascular mortality rate at 1-year (19.6% vs. 5.0%, p = 0.005) and 3-year (25.0% vs. 11.4%, p = 0.027) follow-ups but a lower incidence of heart failure (HF) hospitalization at 1-year (11.1% vs. 28.2%, p = 0.023) and 3-year (3.6% vs. 42.5%, p = 0.001) follow-ups compared to those of the PCI group. Conclusions: Compared with PCI, revascularization with CABG was related to a lower incidence of HF hospitalization but a worse survival outcome in patients with severe CAD and reduced EF. CABG-associated reduction in HF hospitalization was more notable when SYNTAX score ≥33.

Safety and efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass graft in patients with STEMI and unprotected left main stem disease: A systematic review & meta-analysis

•

The advent of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has caused much debate about the optimal revascularization method for LMCAD.

•

Several studies have previously been conducted comparing PCI versus CABG for LMCAD, however most of these have only taken into account randomized controlled trials (RCTs), while ignoring observational studies.

•

This study takes data from both RCTs and observational studies to obtain a better comparison of the two revascularization techniques.

•

It is the first meta-analysis to report data for various adverse outcomes after 10 years of follow-up.

Introduction

Owing to its large area of supply, left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) has the highest mortality rate among coronary artery lesions, resulting in debate about its optimal revascularization technique. This meta-analysis compares percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for the treatment of LMCAD.

Method

MEDLINE, TRIP, and Cochrane Central databases were queried from their inception until 25 April 2021, to determine MACCE (major adverse cardiac and cardiovascular events), all-cause mortality, repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke rates post-revascularization for different follow-ups. 7 RCTs and 50 observational studies having 56,701 patients were included. A random-effects model was used with effect sizes calculated as odds ratios (odds ratio, OR).

Results

In the short term (1 year), PCI had significantly higher repeat revascularizations (OR = 3.58, 95% CI 2.47–5.20; p < 0.00001), but lower strokes (OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.38–0.81; p = 0.002). In the intermediate term (2–5 years), PCI had significantly higher rates of repeat revascularizations (OR = 3.47, 95% CI 2.72–4.44; p < 0.00001) and MI (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.17–1.64; p = 0.0002), but significantly lower strokes (OR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.42–0.70; p < 0.0001). PCI also had significantly higher repeat revascularizations (OR = 2.58, 95% CI 1.89–3.52; p < 0.00001) in the long term (≥5 years), while in the very long term (≥10 years), PCI had significantly lower all-cause mortalities (OR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.61–0.96; p = 0.02).

Conclusion

PCI was safer than CABG for patients with stroke for most follow-ups, while CABG was associated with lower repeat revascularizations. However, further research is required to determine PCI’s safety over CABG for reducing post-surgery MI.

[Comparative study of vasa vasorum and neointima in conduits for coronary artery bypass grafting]

AIM

This study was undertaken to investigate the preoperative incidence and severity of intimal hypertrophy, as well as the level of blood supply of arterial and venous conduits for coronary artery bypass grafting.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Segments of the internal thoracic artery and great saphenous vein (n=13) were harvested pairwise during coronary artery bypass grafting and were then visualized by scanning electron microscopy in back-scattered electrons. The analysis of the incidence and thickness of intimal hypertrophy, as well as the calculation of the number and the area of the vasa vasorum were performed using the programme ImageJ.

RESULTS

Intimal hypertrophy was more characteristic for the great saphenous vein as compared with the internal thoracic artery (9/13 (69.2%) and 7/13 (55.8%), respectively), although this difference did not reach statistical significance. The maximal-to-minimal neointimal thickness ratio correlated with the percentage of stenosis (r=0.875, p<0.0001), the area (r=0.45, p=0.023) and the number (r=0.47, p=0.015) of the vasa vasorum in the conduits, thus confirming the hypothesis on possible participation of these vessels in the development of intimal hypertrophy, with the area of the vasa vasorum being greater in the vessels with >10% stenosis (p=0.051). The number of the vasa vasorum in the great saphenous vein exceeded that in the internal thoracic artery (p=0.0005), with this difference remaining significant after adjustment for the area of the adventitia (p=0.027). The number of the vasa vasorum per the percentage of stenosis in the great saphenous vein also exceeded that in the internal thoracic artery (p=0.039) and more strongly correlated with intimal hypertrophy in the great saphenous vein as compared with that in the internal thoracic artery (r=0.53 and r=0.27, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Intimal hypertrophy correlates with the area and number of the vasa vasorum in conduits. The great saphenous vein is characterised by a larger number and higher density of the vasa vasorum as compared with the internal thoracic artery. The number of the vasa vasorum is correlated with stenosis of the great saphenous vein more closely than with stenosis of the internal thoracic artery. This may be suggestive of significant predisposition of the great saphenous vein to the onset of adventitial inflammation followed by the development of intimal hypertrophy.

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Unprotected Left Main Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Large Single-Centre Experience

Aims

This study sought to report the 10-year clinical outcomes of patients who underwent unprotected left main (LM) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a large centre.

Methods and Results

A total of 913 consecutive patients who underwent unprotected LM PCI from January 2004 to December 2008 at Fu Wai Hospital were retrospectively analysed; the mean age was 60.0 ± 10.9 years, females accounted for 22% of patients, diabetes was present in 27.7% of patients, and an LM bifurcation lesion occurred in 82.9% of patients. During the median follow-up of 9.7 years, major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) occurred in 25.6% (234) of patients, and the rates of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and stroke were 14.9%, 11.0%, and 7.1%, respectively. Cardiac death occurred in only 7.9% of patients. The estimated event rate was 41.9% for death/myocardial infarction/any revascularization and 45.9% for death/MI/stroke/any revascularization. Definite/probable stent thrombosis occurred in 4.3% (39) of patients. According to the subgroup analysis, IVUS-guided PCI was associated with less long-term MACCEs. Further multivariate analysis identified that age and LVEF<40% were the only independent predictors for 10-year death. Age, LVEF<40%, creatinine clearance, and incomplete revascularization were independent predictors for death/MI, while a two-stent strategy, diabetes, a transradial approach, and the use of bare metal stents (BMSs) or first-generation drug-eluting stents (DESs) were not.

Conclusions

Unprotected LM PCI in a large cohort of consecutive patients in a single large centre demonstrated favourable long-term outcomes up to 10 years even with the use of BMSs and first-generation of DESs.

Incidence and Prognostic Impact of Atrial Fibrillation After Discharge Following Revascularization for Significant Left Main Coronary Artery Narrowing

The incidence, recurrence rate, and prognostic significance of atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF) following hospital discharge after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) are unknown. We sought to determine the 3-year incidence and clinical impact of postdischarge AF in patients with LMCAD treated with PCI or CABG. In the EXCEL trial, 1,905 patients with LMCAD were randomized to PCI versus CABG. We analyzed the occurrence of postdischarge AF through 3 years and its time-adjusted association with adverse outcomes. A total of 1,802 patients without AF at baseline comprised the study cohort. Within 3 years, 227 episodes of AF occurred (29 [12.8%] in the PCI arm and 198 [87.2%] in the CABG arm, p <0.0001); of those, 63 (27.7%) occurred following discharge from the index hospitalization in 57 patients. In-hospital AF predicted postdischarge AF (hazard ratio [HR] 2.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42 to 6.10, p = 0.004). By multivariable analysis, time-updated postdischarge AF was an independent predictor of 3-year cardiovascular death (HR 4.91, 95% CI 1.92 to 12.60, p = 0.0009), stroke (HR 4.87, 95% CI 1.12 to 21.12, p = 0.035), and the composite outcome of death, stroke or myocardial infarction (HR 3.09, 95% CI 1.56 to 3.6-6.11, p = 0.001). Among patients with postdischarge AF, the rate of the primary composite outcome did not vary according to presence or absence of in-hospital AF (21.0% vs 23.8%, p = 0.78). In conclusion, postdischarge AF following CABG or PCI for LMCAD is associated with increased mortality and stroke. In-hospital atrial fibrillation is an independent predictor of AF following discharge.