Long-term clinical outcomes of excimer laser coronary atherectomy for the management of recurrent in-stent restenosis

BACKGROUND

Recurrent in-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a serious problem. Optimal modification of the underlying mechanism during index percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is key to prevent ISR. Excimer laser coronary atherectomy (ELCA) has its own indications and is among others used in recurrent ISR in case of stent underexpansion and/or diffuse neointimal hyperplasia. We aimed to assess the long-term clinical outcomes of ELCA for the management of recurrent ISR.

METHODS

A multicenter, retrospective observational study was conducted. Patients with recurrent ISR who were additionally treated with ELCA were included. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, target lesion revascularization at 12 months, and longer term.

RESULTS

Between 2014 and 2022, 51 patients underwent PCI with the additional use ELCA for recurrent ISR. Primary outcome occurred in 6 patients (11.8%) at 12 months and in 12 patients (23.5%) at a median follow-up of 4 (1-6) years. Technical and procedural success were achieved in 92% and 90% of cases, respectively. Coronary perforation occurred in 2 patients as a result of distal wire perforation, but was not ELCA-related. There were no in-hospital MACE.

CONCLUSIONS

ELCA appears to be a safe method with acceptable long-term results for the management of recurrent ISR.

Postdischarge prognostic significance of periprocedural myocardial injury after percutaneous intervention of chronic total occlusion

BACKGROUND

The postdischarge prognostic implication of periprocedural myocardial injury in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of a chronic total occlusion (CTO) remains scarcely studied.

AIMS

The aim of this study is to assess the prognostic value of periprocedural myocardial injury, defined by increased high-sensitive troponin T (hs-TnT) levels according to updated guidelines, after CTO PCI.

METHODS

Between September 2011 and April 2020, 726 patients undergoing CTO PCI at 2 Belgian referral centres were prospectively included and divided into 4 groups based on postprocedural hs-TnT levels (unelevated; ≥5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN); ≥35 times the ULN; ≥70 times the ULN). Postprocedural hs-TnT levels were subsequently related to patient and procedural characteristics, 1-year major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE; excluding in-hospital MACCE) as well as 1-year mortality.

RESULTS

At 1 year follow-up (FU), elevated hs-TnT≥5 times and ≥35 times the ULN were associated with higher MACCE rates (p=0.001; p=0.007, respectively). In addition, they also resulted in a higher 1-year mortality rate (p=0.009;p=0.021, respectively). Patients with increased hs-TnT≥5 times the ULN (35% of patients) more frequently had signs of more advanced atherosclerotic disease (previous CABG p<0.001; stroke p≤0.001 and peripheral vascular disease p<0.001) and had higher procedural complexity (Japanese CTO Score p=<0.001, stent length>48 mm p<0.001, procedure time p<0.001). Antegrade wire escalation did not result in lower event rate of postdischarge MACCE compared with the other CTO crossing techniques combined (p=0.158).

CONCLUSION

Periprocedural myocardial injury was associated with a significantly higher rate of MACCE and all-cause mortality after 12 months of FU.

Giant coronary artery aneurysm of the left main treated with a covered stent: a case report

Background

Coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) of the left main represent a small subset of coronary artery disease and are associated with cardiovascular death. Because of its rare entity, large data are lacking and therefore treatment guidelines are missing.

Case summary

We describe a case of a 56-year-old female with a past medical history of spontaneous dissection of the distal descending left artery (LAD) 6 years before. She presented to our hospital with a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and a coronary angiogram showed a giant saccular aneurysm of the shaft of the left main coronary artery (LMCA). Given the risk of rupture and distal embolization, the heart team decided to go for a percutaneous approach. Based on a pre-interventional 3D reconstructed CT scan and guided by intravascular ultrasound, the aneurysm was successfully excluded with a 5 mm papyrus-covered stent. At 3-month and 1-year follow-up, the patient is still asymptomatic and repeat angiographies showed full exclusion of the aneurysm and the absence of restenosis in the covered stent.

Discussion

We describe the successful percutaneous IVUS-guided treatment of a giant LMCA shaft coronary aneurysm with a papyrus-covered stent with an excellent 1-year angiographic follow-up showing no residual filling of the aneurysm and no stent restenosis.