Role of Routine Follow-up Coronary Angiography After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention - Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cost-effectiveness of follow-up invasive coronary angiography after percutaneous coronary stenting: a real-world observational cohort study in Japan

OBJECTIVES

Follow-up invasive coronary angiography (FUICA) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to increase the rate of early coronary revascularisation without reducing the incidence of subsequent myocardial infarction or death. However, no studies have evaluated the cost-effectiveness of FUICA in patients after coronary stenting. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of FUICA after PCI.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational cohort study.

SETTING

497 hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS

Overall, 558 patients who underwent coronary artery stenting between April 2014 and March 2015 were matched and included in the invasive angiographic follow-up (AF) group (n=279), in which patients underwent FUICA 6-12 months after PCI, or in the clinical follow-up alone group (CF; n=279) using propensity scores.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary endpoint was the composite outcome of death, myocardial infarction, urgent coronary revascularisation, stroke or hospitalisation for the heart failure. The secondary endpoints included all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, urgent revascularisation, coronary artery bypass grafting, stroke, hospitalisation for the heart failure and any coronary revascularisation after a minimum of 6 months of follow-up.

RESULTS

Costs were calculated as direct medical expenses based on medical fee billing information. The cumulative 3-year incidence of the primary endpoint was 5.3% in the AF group and 4.7% in the CF group (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.47 to 2.20; p=0.98). The total incremental cost at the 3-year endpoint in the AF group was US$1874 higher than that in the CF group (US$8947±US$5684 vs US$7073±US$6360; p≤0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

FUICA increased the costs but did not improve clinical benefits. Thus, FUICA is not economically more attractive than CF alone.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

UMIN000039768.

A Simple Model to Predict Repeat Revascularization After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease

Repeat revascularization is still common in the era of drug-eluting stents (DES), especially for non-target lesions. However, few validated models exist to predict the need for revascularization. We aimed to develop and validate an easy-to-use predictive model for repeat revascularization after DES implantation in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 1,653 stable CAD patients with angiographic follow-up after DES implantation were consecutively enrolled. Split-sample testing was adopted to develop and validate the model. In the training set, male, diabetes, number of target lesions, occlusion lesion, number of non-target lesions, recurrent angina, suboptimal low density lipoprotein-cholesterol level, and high lipoprotein (a) level were independent predictors of repeat revascularization using logistic regression analyses. The established model (Model 1) yielded a bias-corrected concordance index of 0.700 (95% confidence interval: 0.667 to 0.735), with good calibration. It also performed well in the validation set. Compared with the traditional empirical model only including recurrent angina (Model 2), Model 1 had better discriminative ability and clinical usefulness. In conclusion, we established and validated a simple model including 8 easily accessible variables to predict repeat revascularization after DES implantation in stable CAD patients, contributing to better risk stratification, decision making, and patient consultation.

Hospital-level variation in follow-up strategies after percutaneous coronary intervention, revealed in health claims data of Korea

This study sought to determine hospital variation in the use of follow-up stress testing (FUST) and invasive coronary angiography (FUCAG) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The claims records of 150,580 Korean patients who received PCI in 128 hospitals between 2008 and 2015 were analyzed. Patient were considered to have undergone FUST and FUCAG, when these testings were performed within two years after discharge from the index hospitalization. Hierarchical generalized linear and frailty models were used to evaluate binary and time-to-event outcomes. Hospital-level risk-standardized FUCAG and FUST rates were highly variable across the hospitals (median, 0.41; interquartile range [IQR], 0.27-0.59; median, 0.22; IQR, 0.08-0.39, respectively). The performances of various models predicting the likelihood of FUCAG and FUST were compared, and the best performance was observed with the models adjusted for patient case mix and individual hospital effects as random effects (receiver operating characteristic curves, 0.72 for FUCAG; 0.82 for FUST). The intraclass correlation coefficients of the models (0.41 and 0.68, respectively) indicated that a considerable proportion of the observed variation was related to individual institutional effects. Higher hospital-level FUCAG and FUST rates were not preventive of death or myocardial infarction. Increased repeat revascularizations were observed in hospitals with higher FUCAG rates.

Characteristics of recurrent in-stent restenosis after second- and third-generation drug-eluting stent implantation

BACKGROUND

In second- and third-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) era, in-stent restenosis (ISR) is not commonly seen. However, a few patients still need repeat revascularizations for recurrent ISR even after second- and third-generation DES implantation.

METHODS

From January 2012 to March 2017, 2339 lesions underwent second- and third-generation DES (Nobori, Promus Element, Resolute Integrity, Xience, Ultimaster and Synergy) implantation, of which 95 lesions (4.1%) underwent revascularization for first ISR. All lesions were divided into two groups of recurrent ISR group and non-recurrent ISR group. After successful optical coherence tomography (OCT) guided revascularization for all lesions, we investigated characteristics of recurrent ISR, and 2 years follow-up were completed.

RESULTS

The mean age was 70.8 ± 11.7 years, and 73.2% were males. Among 56 DES-ISR lesions which were assessed by OCT, recurrent ISR was seen in 33.9% (N = 19) at 2 years follow-up after revascularization for first ISR. Serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) level was higher in recurrent ISR group compared with non-recurrent ISR group (114.1 ± 53.9 mg/dl vs. 90.9 ± 27.8 mg/dl, P = 0.04) and heterogeneous tissue pattern was more frequently found in recurrent ISR group compared with non-recurrent ISR group (63.2% vs. 27.0%, P = 0.03). Multivariate analysis identified a heterogeneous tissue pattern (odds ratio 3.71; 95% confidence interval 1.09-12.59; P = 0.03) as an independent predictor of recurrent restenosis.

CONCLUSION

Recurrent ISR of second- and third-generation DES was associated with heterogeneous tissue pattern of first ISR, and high LDL-C level was associated with recurrence.

Randomized Comparison of Everolimus- and Zotarolimus-Eluting Coronary Stents With Biolimus-Eluting Stents in All-Comer Patients

Background:

There is limited data comparing the Xience everolimus-eluting stent (EES) and the Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES) with the BioMatrix biolimus-eluting stent (BES).

Methods:

This open-label, randomized, noninferiority trial enrolled all-comer patients to be randomly treated with either BES, EES, or ZES in a 1:1:1 ratio in 15 centers across South Korea. The primary end point was a device-oriented composite outcome consisting of cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, and clinically indicated target lesion revascularization at 24 months. The BES was compared with the EES and the ZES by intention-to-treat analyses with a noninferiority margin of 3.8%, respectively.

Results:

Because of slow recruitment and low event rates, this trial was prematurely terminated after enrollment of 1935 (75%) of the intended 2580 patients. Of the 1911 patients randomized to either EES (n=638), BES (n=634), or ZES (n =639), the rate of device-oriented composite outcome was 3.6%, 2.2%, and 3.9%, respectively, at 24 months (BES versus EES: absolute risk difference −1.4% [upper limit of 1-sided 95% CI: −3.2%]; P for noninferiority <0.001; BES versus ZES: absolute risk difference −1.7% [upper limit of 1-sided 95% CI: −3.6%]; P for noninferiority <0.001).

Conclusions:

The BES was noninferior to either the EES or the ZES in all-comer patients for device-oriented composite outcome at the 24-month follow-up. However, caution is advised regarding interpretation of these results due to the premature termination of this study.

Registration:

URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT01397175.

First clinical evidence characterizing safety and efficacy of the new CoCr Biolimus-A9 eluting stent: The Biomatrix Alpha™ registry

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First clinical outcomes of a new thin strut cobalt chromium biolimus-eluting stent.

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The primary endpoint (9 month cardiac death, MI, ciTVR) occurred in 3.9%

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Cardiac death occurred in 0.8%, MI in 1.1%, and ciTVR in 2.7%

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Only 1 patient (0.25%) had a definite or probable stent thrombosis.

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Pre-specified comparison with the LEADERS (BES arm) trial met non-inferiority.

Background

The biolimus-eluting stent (BES) was the first to elute anti-proliferative drug from a biodegradable polymer. In the randomized LEADERS trial, a stainless steel BES showed non-inferior efficacy compared to a sirolimus-eluting stent and a long-term safety advantage. We report the first clinical efficacy and safety outcomes of a new thin-strut cobalt chromium biolimus-eluting stent (CoCr-BES) from an international multi-centre registry.

Methods

We studied 400 all-comer patients with coronary disease receiving CoCr-BES at 12 centres, with follow-up at 9 months and 2 years. The primary endpoint was incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 9 months comprising cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), and clinically indicated target vessel revascularization (ci-TVR). Key protocol elements were the same as the randomized LEADERS trial to enable a historical control for propensity-matched comparison.

Results

Mean patient age was 65 ± 11 years, 19% had diabetes, and 55% presented with unstable angina or MI. On discharge, 96% of patients were on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and 69% were on DAPT at 9 months. MACE at 9 months occurred in 3.9% of patients, cardiac death in 0.8%, MI in 1.1% and ci-TVR in 2.7%. One patient (0.25%) experienced definite or probable stent thrombosis (ST). A propensity-adjusted comparison showed similar clinical outcomes to the BES arm in the LEADERS trial for the primary endpoint MACE.

Conclusions

The new CoCr-BES showed low rates of MACE, MI, ci-TVR and ST at 9 months, similar to the BES arm in LEADERS.

Analysis of the risk factors for contrast-induced nephropathy in over-aged patients receiving coronary intervention

Contrast-induced nephropathy has been the common cause of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury in the elderly patients. This study aimed to analyze the risk factors for contrast-induced nephropathy in over-aged patients undergoing coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention. A total of 470 over-aged patients (≥80 years old) were judged as the contrast-induced nephropathy group ( n = 46) and non-contrast-induced nephropathy group ( n = 424) according to the postoperative 48-h serum creatinine levels. The patients' clinical information such as hypertension grade, number and degree of coronary artery stenosis, and death rate was compared. The risk factors for contrast-induced nephropathy were also analyzed. The hypertension grade in the contrast-induced nephropathy group was significantly higher than that in the non-contrast-induced nephropathy group ( P = 0.004). The degree of coronary artery stenosis was significantly more in the contrast-induced nephropathy group compared with the non-contrast-induced nephropathy group ( P = 0.003). The death rate of the contrast-induced nephropathy group (15.8%) was significantly higher than that of the non-contrast-induced nephropathy group (0.6%; P = 0.000). The percentage of patients with abnormal urine microalbumin was significantly bigger in the contrast-induced nephropathy group (62.5%) when comparing to the non-contrast-induced nephropathy group (23.6%; P = 0.00). Besides, there was also significant difference in the emergency/selective operation between the contrast-induced nephropathy group and non-contrast-induced nephropathy group ( P = 0.001). Further, hypertension grade ( P = 0.019), emergency/selective operation ( P = 0.025), degree of coronary artery stenosis ( P = 0.038), eGFR ( P = 0.034), and urine microalbumin ( P = 0.005) were the risk factors for contrast-induced nephropathy. Hypertension grade, emergency/selective operation, degree of coronary artery stenosis, eGFR, and urine microalbumin were the risk factors for contrast-induced nephropathy in over-aged patients receiving coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention, providing guidance for the clinical prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy. Impact statement In this work, we evaluated the risk factors for contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in over-aged patients receiving coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We found that hypertension grade, emergency/selective operation, degree of coronary artery stenosis, eGFR, and urine microalbumin were the risk factors for CIN in over-aged patients receiving CAG and PCI. This study provides guidance for the clinical prevention of CIN in over-aged patients undergoing coronary intervention, highlighting that a perioperative comprehensive management strategy is needed to improve the prognosis.

Follow-up tests and outcomes for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: analysis of a Japanese administrative database

Follow-up tests after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are considered inappropriate for asymptomatic patients. Despite this perception, many cardiologists conduct follow-up tests as routine practice. The objective of this study was to investigate the survival benefits of follow-up testing after PCI in a real-world setting in Japan. A nationwide Japanese administrative database was used to identify unselected patients who underwent PCI with stent implantation between January 2010 and December 2013. We used time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate the association between follow-up testing and outcomes. The primary outcome was the composite of all-cause death and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Among a total of 21,409 patients, 15,095 (70.5%) completed follow-up testing, of whom 9814 (45.0%) underwent coronary angiography. During a median of 2.7 years of observation, the primary outcome occurred less frequently for patients who underwent follow-up testing (1.21 vs. 4.51% per year; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% CI 0.52-0.67; p < 0.001). Individual rates of all-cause death and AMI were also lower for the patients who underwent follow-up testing. Follow-up testing was associated with a lower risk of all-cause death and/or AMI. However, because of the unexpectedly large effect and many limitations of the administrative data, our findings should be further investigated to assess the net benefit of follow-up tests. In addition, we do not intend to encourage routine follow-up tests for patients without clear clinical indications. Follow-up tests should be conducted in accordance with clinical indications.

Routine Angiographic Follow-Up After Coronary Artery Disease Revascularization: Is Seeing Believing?

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW

Coronary artery disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the world, and PCI and CABG account for over a million procedures performed annually in the USA. The goal of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is to achieve complete revascularization (CR) if at all possible. However, restenosis and stent thrombosis (ST) remain the Achilles heel of contemporary PCI with restenosis rates between 10 and 30% with bare metal stents to 5-15% after drug-eluting stents and ST rates of around 0.8 vs 1.2%, respectively. Routine angiography after revascularization seems theoretically attractive as this may allow intervention before clinical events occur. In this manuscript, we review the literature regarding routine angiography after PCI or CABG and its outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS

According to the 2016 update from the American Heart Association (AHA), 15.5 million people above the age of 20 have coronary heart disease (CHD) in the USA. The prevalence of CHD is now almost similar in both men and women, and one American suffers from a myocardial infarction (MI) every 42 s. Recent data from randomized clinical trials and observational studies does not support the use of routine coronary angiography after revascularization in asymptomatic patients. There are some studies which show that routine angiography may have a role in left main or complex coronary interventions; however, these findings are exploratory and were not seen in randomized trials. After reviewing the data on routine angiography after coronary revascularization, we came to the conclusion that current data does not support the use of routine angiography for asymptomatic patients. However, there is a lack of randomized controlled trial in this field with only one recent trial reporting negative outcomes.