Evaluation of neointimal coverage and thrombosis at 3 months and 2 years post sirolimus-eluting stent implantation by optical coherence tomography / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the short- and long-term prevalence of persistent uncovered struts and in-stent thrombus after sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation by optical coherence tomography (OCT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>OCT was performed for 31 SES in 21 patients at 3 months and for 30 SES in 21 patients at 2 years post SES implantation. Thickness of new intima inside each strut was measured and thickness equal to 0 microm was defined as an uncovered strut. Existence of in-stent thrombus was also evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 4545 struts and 3707 struts were evaluated at 3 months and at 2 years post SES implantation, respectively. New intima at 2 years was significantly thicker than that at 3 months [(71 +/- 93) microm vs. (29 +/- 41) microm, P < 0.01]. Percent of uncovered struts at 2 years was significantly lower than that at 3 months (5% vs. 15%, P < 0.01). Prevalence of uncovered struts was similar at 2 years and at 3 months (81% vs.95%, P > 0.05). Subclinical thrombus was recognized in 14% patients at 3 months and 2 years post SES implantation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Neointimal coverage inside the SES is a continuous process and the number of uncovered struts decreased from 3 months to 2 years after SES implantation. Few uncovered struts could still be visualized in the majority of patients at 2 years post SES implantation.</p>

Retrograde crossing for chronic total occlusion lesions: the Japanese way.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions remains one of the major challenges in the field of interventional cardiology. Crossing guidewires through the CTO lesions has been conventionally performed from the proximal arteries to the lesions as an antegrade approach. To date, a retrograde approach, to penetrate PCI devices including guidewires and balloons into the distal end of CTO lesions via collateral vessels or coronary artery bypass grafts, has been attempted in order to achieve procedural success. With introduction of the retrograde approach for treatments of CTO lesions, several kinds of devices, techniques, and strategies have been developed. Although the techniques and strategies for the retrograde approach have not been worldwide accepted to interventional cardiologists, we introduce a way to obtain recanalization of the CTO lesions using the retrograde approach in this article.