Outcomes of chronic total occlusions in coronary arteries according to three therapeutic strategies: a meta-analysis with 6985 patients from 8 published observational studies

Abstract Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and medical treatment (MT) in patients with chronic total occlusions (CTOs). Methods: We identified eligible observational studies published in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, PubMed, Excerpta Medica database, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and "Clinical trials" registration from 1999 to October 2018. Main outcome measures were all-cause mortality, cardiac death, major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), and myocardial infarction (MI). Results: There were eight observational studies including 6985 patients. Patients' mean age was 64.4 years. Mean follow-up time was 4.3 years. Comparing with MT (2958 patients), PCI (3157 patients) presented decreased all-cause mortality (odd ratio [OR]: 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36-0.60; P<0.001), cardiac death (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.31-0.52; P<0.001), MACE (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.43-0.71; P<0.001), and MI (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.26-0.62; P<0.001). Comparing with MT, CABG (613 patients) presented lower all-cause mortality (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.36-0.69; P<0.001) and MACE (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.26-0.96; P=0.04), but not lower MI (OR: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.03-1.54; P=0.13) and cardiac death (OR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.51-1.35). Comparing with CABG, PCI did not present decreased risk for those outcomes. Conclusions: PCI or CABG was associated with better clinical outcome in patients with CTO than MT. PCI is not better than CABG in decreasing mortality, MI, cardiac death, and MACE in coronary CTO patients.

Patency of individual and sequential coronary artery bypass in patients with ischemic heart disease: a meta-analysis

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the patency of individual and sequential coronary artery bypass in patients with ischemic heart disease. Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medica Database, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases for controlled trials. Endpoints included graft patency, anastomosis patency, occluded rates in left anterior descending (LAD) system and right coronary artery (RCA) system, in-hospital mortality, and follow-up mortality. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) and standardized mean difference (SMD) were used to assess the relative data. Results: Nine cohorts, including 7100 patients and 1440 grafts under individual or sequential coronary artery bypass. There were no significant differences between individual and sequential coronary artery bypass in the graft patency (RR=0.96; 95% CI=0.91-1.02; P=0.16; I2=87%), anastomosis patency (RR=0.95; 95% CI=0.91-1.00; P=0.05; I2=70%), occluded rate in LAD system (RR=1.03; 95% CI=0.92-1.16; P=0.58; I2=37%), occluded rate in RCA system (RR=1.36; 95% CI=0.72-2.57; P=0.35; I2=95%), in-hospital mortality (RR=1.57; 95% CI=0.92-2.69; P=0.10; I2=0%), and follow-up mortality (RR=0.96; 95% CI=0.36-2.53; P=0.93; I2=0%). Conclusion: No significant differences on clinical data were observed regarding anastomosis patency, occluded rate in LAD system, occluded rate in RCA system, in-hospital mortality, and follow-up mortality, indicating that the patency of individual and the patency of sequential coronary artery bypass are similar to each other.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Chronic Total Occlusion / Intervenção Coronária Percutânea em Oclusão Total Crônica

Abstract Percutaneous coronary intervention in chronic total occlusion is a rapidly evolving area, being considered the last frontier of interventional cardiology. In recent years, the development of new techniques and equipment, as well as the training of specialized personnel, increased their success rates, making it the most predictable procedure available. Although the number of randomized and controlled studies is still limited, results from large multicentered registries allow us to safely offer this intervention to patients, as another treatment option along with the optimized drug treatment and myocardial revascularization surgery. This review summarizes the last and most relevant publications in the subject in order to provide an overall view of the field's current status.

Resumo A intervenção coronária percutânea em oclusão total crônica é uma área em rápida evolução, sendo considerada a última fronteira da cardiologia intervencionista. Nos últimos anos, o desenvolvimento de novas técnicas e equipamentos, assim como o treinamento de operadores especializados, elevaram sua taxa de sucesso, tornando o procedimento mais previsível. Apesar do número de estudos randomizados e controlados ainda ser limitado, resultados de grandes registros multicêntricos nos permitem oferecer essa intervenção aos pacientes com segurança, como mais uma opção de tratamento junto ao tratamento medicamentoso otimizado e ao lado cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica. Na presente revisão, resumimos as últimas e mais relevantes publicações sobre o assunto a fim de fornecer uma visão geral do atual estado da área.

Oclusão coronariana após TAVI: relato de estratégia de segurança / Coronary occlusion after TAVI: safety strategy report

O implante de valva aórtica transcateter (TAVI) é uma alternativa para pacientes com estenose aórtica de alto risco cirúrgico e para muitos daqueles considerados inoperáveis. Apesar de sua característica minimamente invasiva, podem ocorrer complicações relacionadas ao procedimento. Obstrução coronária durante o TAVI é uma complicação rara, com incidência inferior a 1%, mas potencialmente letal. Em nosso país, essa complicação foi encontrada em 0,72% dos procedimentos − 3 de 418 casos do Registro Brasileiro de Implante de Bioprótese Aórtica por Cateter − com mortalidade hospitalar de 100%. Apresentamos, neste relato de caso, medidas de prevenção e tratamento de oclusão coronária após o TAVI.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an alternative for patients with aortic stenosis at high surgical risk and for many of those considered inoperable. Despite its minimally invasive features,complications related to the procedure may occur. Coronary obstruction during TAVI is a rare (incidence rate of less than 1%) but potentially lethal complication. In Brazil, this complication was found in 0.72% of procedures – three of 418 cases from the Brazilian Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Registry – with an in-hospital mortality rate of 100%. This case report presents prevention and treatment measures forcoronary occlusion after TAVI.

A Meta-analysis of Ostial and Trunk versus Distal Lesions in Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Stenting.

Aims: To assess outcomes for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in ostial and trunk versus distal unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) lesions in the drugeluted stent (DES) era. Study Design: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Methods: With the help of a librarian, we searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Clinical Trials Registry from 2001 to July 2012. We included studies that enrolled ≥ 50 patients and had ≥6 months of follow-up. Our co-primary endpoints were the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and target lesion/vessel revascularization (TLR/TVR). Data was abstracted and analyzed by two independent reviewers and differences were resolved by consensus. We assessed the results for heterogeneity in our analysis by examining the forest plots and then calculating a Q statistic, which we compared with the I2 index. If there was no evidence of statistical heterogeneity and pooling of results was clinically appropriate, a combined estimate was obtained using the fixed-effects model; otherwise the random-effects model was used. Results: We identified 11studies involving 3,718 patients. Mean duration of follow-up was 29 months (range 12-62months). Compared with ostial and trunk stenting, distal LMCA PCI was associated with increased MACE (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.43-2.66) and TLR/TVR (OR 3.13, 95% CI 1.90-5.16).No significant differences were detected for cardiac death (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.72-1.58, p=0.58), MI (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.74-1.77, p=0.80) or stent thrombosis (OR 1.57, 95% CI 0.90-2.77, p=0.41). Conclusion: Patients with ostial and trunk LMCA lesions treated with DES have better outcomes than patients with distal lesions. Our findings may support unprotected nondistal LMCA stenting as a primary approach in selected patient subsets.

Importância dos estudos pré-clínicos em animais de experimentação para a cardiologia intervencionista: [revisão] / The importance of pre-clinical animal testing in interventional cardiology: [review]

O tratamento da doença cardiovascular mudou radicalmente nas últimas duas décadas, proporcionando aos pacientes uma sobrevida maior e melhor qualidade de vida. Grande parte desse sucesso deve-se à introdução de novas terapias. Em nenhuma outra área essa mudança foi mais evidente do que na cardiologia intervencionista, pois nos últimos vinte anos as intervenções cardiovasculares percutâneas saíram do terreno experimental para formar a base terapêutica dos portadores de doença cardiovascular sintomática. O desenvolvimento dessas tecnologias, desde os primeiros estágios, requer a realização de estudos pré-clínicos com modelos animais. É possível compreender os mecanismos terapêuticos desses dispositivos, uma vez introduzidos na esfera clínica, comparando-se os achados das pesquisas realizadas com modelos animais com amostras de exames anatomopatológicos. Esta análise apresenta uma visão geral do papel emergente dos estudos pré-clínicos, bem como dos resultados, do desenvolvimento e da avaliação de modelos amimais, nas tecnologias de intervenção cardiovascular percutânea para tratamento de pacientes com doença cardiovascular sintomática.

The treatment of cardiovascular disease has changed dramatically over the past 2 decades, allowing patients to live longer and better quality lives. The introduction of new therapies has contributed much to this success. Nowhere has this been more evident than in interventional cardiology, where percutaneous cardiovascular intervention has evolved in the past 2 decades from a quirky experimental procedure to a therapeutic cornerstone for patients with symptomatic cardiovascular disease. The development of these technologies from the earliest stages requires preclinical experiments using animal models. Once introduced into the clinical arena, an understanding of therapeutic mechanisms of these devices can be ascertained through comparisons of animal model research findings with clinical pathological specimens. This review provides an overview of the emerging role, results of preclinical studies and development, and evaluation of animal models for percutaneous cardiovascular intervention technologies for patients with symptomatic cardiovascular disease.

Tratamento operatório da dissecção iatrogênica do tronco de coronária esquerda / Operative treatment after iatrogenic left main dissection

A dissecção coronária iatrogênica apresenta alta morbidade e mortalidade. Diante da oclusão aguda do fluxo coronariano, é fundamental a restauração imediata da perviabilidade do vaso para limitar a extensão e duração da isquemia. Nesta situação, pode estar indicada a revascularização cirúrgica do miocárdio de emergência. Os autores apresentam caso de um paciente com dissecção iatrogênica do tronco de coronária esquerda durante angioplastia transluminal percutânea, que foi solucionada pela realização de revascularização completa do miocárdio, com resultado satisfatório.

Coronary dissection has a significant morbity and mortality. The ideal management of acute coronary occlusion is the prompt restoration of the vessel patency to limit the extent and duration of ischemia. In the setting of dissection during percutaneous procedure, the usual approach has been emergency aortocoronary bypass surgery. The authors present a case of a patient with left main dissection during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. This problem was successfully managed with emergent aortocoronary bypass surgery.