Chronic thromboembolic disease among patients undergoing surgical pulmonary embolectomy for acute pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of chronic thromboembolic lesions in the pulmonary arteries among patients undergoing pulmonary embolectomy for acute pulmonary embolism and their impact on treatment outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, single-center analysis of consecutive patients undergoing emergency pulmonary embolectomy for acute pulmonary embolism between 2013 and August 2021. According to European Society of Cardiology guidelines, the diagnosis was based on clinical presentation, imaging studies and laboratory tests. Surgery was selected as the optimal treatment modality within the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team. Based on the intraoperatively identified chronic lesions patients were divided into two groups: acute only and acute/chronic. The analysis comprised history, laboratory and imaging studies, early and long-term mortality, and postoperative complications. We determined predictive factors for chronic thromboembolic lesions and risk factors for death. RESULTS: The analysis included 33 patients. Intraoperatively, 42% (14) of patients had chronic lesions. Predictive factors for these lesions are the duration of symptoms >1 week (OR=13.75), pulmonary artery dilatation >3.15 cm (OR=39.00) and right ventricle systolic pressure >52 mmHg (OR=29.33). No hospital deaths occurred in the acute only group and two in the acute/chronic group (0% vs. 14.3%; P=0.172). Risk factors for death are the duration of symptoms >3 weeks (HR=7.35) and postoperative use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (HR=7.04). CONCLUSIONS: Acute thromboembolic disease overlapping chronic clots is relatively common among patients undergoing pulmonary artery embolectomy. A detailed evaluation of the patient's medical history and imaging studies can identify these patients, as they require special attention when making treatment decisions. Surgical treatment in a center of expertise in pulmonary endarterectomy seems reasonable.

Multicenter registry of Impella-assisted high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions and cardiogenic shock in Poland (IMPELLA-PL).

BACKGROUND: Impella is a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device for treatment of cardiogenic shock (CS) and high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions (HR-PCIs). IMPELLA-PL is a national retrospective registry of Impella-treated CS and HR-PCI patients in 20 Polish interventional cardiological centers, conducted from January 2014 until December 2021. AIMS: We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of Impella using real-world data from IMPELLA-PL and compare these with other registries. METHODS: IMPELLA-PL data were analyzed to determine primary endpoints: in-hospital mortality and rates of mortality and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) at 12 months post-discharge. RESULTS: Of 308 patients, 18% had CS and 82% underwent HR-PCI. In-hospital mortality rates were 76.4% and 8.3% in the CS and HR-PCI groups, respectively. The 12-month mortality rates were 80.0% and 18.2%, and post-discharge MACCE rates were 9.1% and 22.5%, respectively. Any access site bleeding occurred in 30.9% of CS patients and 14.6% of HR-PCI patients, limb ischemia in 12.7% and 2.4%, and hemolysis in 10.9% and 1.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Impella is safe and effective during HR-PCIs, in accordance with previous registry analyses. The risk profile and mortality in CS patients were higher than in other registries, and the potential benefits of Impella in CS require investigation.

SGLT2 Inhibitors vs. GLP-1 Agonists to Treat the Heart, the Kidneys and the Brain.

Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and glucagon-like-peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1-R) agonists are novel therapeutic agents used for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Recently, large-scale randomized clinical trials have been conducted to assess the cardiovascular safety of these medications. The findings of these trials have revealed that both SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1-R agonists exhibit favorable cardioprotective effects, including reduction in cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, a decreased risk of chronic kidney disease progression, a decrease in hospitalization for heart failure (HF), an effect shown by SGLT2 inhibitors, and stroke prevention, an effect shown by GLP-1-R agonists. Based on the results from above studies, the European and American Diabetes Associations have issued new recommendations strongly endorsing the use of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1-R agonists in combination with metformin for patients with T2DM who have additional cardiovascular (CV) comorbidities or risk factors. The primary aim of this combined therapy is to prevent CV events. Although both medication groups offer beneficial effects, they demonstrate slightly different profiles. SGLT2 inhibitors have exhibited better effects regarding a reduced incidence of HF, whereas GLP-1-R agonists have shown a reduced risk of CV events, particularly stroke. Moreover, recent European Society of Cardiology as well as American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guidelines of HF treatment stressed the importance of SGLT2 inhibitor administration in patients with HF regardless of T2DM. In this context, we present and discuss the outcomes of the most recent trials investigating the impact of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1-R agonists on renal and cardiovascular outcomes in patients, both with and without T2DM. Additionally, we explore the synergistic effects of combining SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1-R agonists in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Emerging Role of Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Disease-Insights from the 2022 ESC Guidelines.

In this article, we discuss the topic of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease (CTEPD) and the growing role of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) in its treatment. We present the pathophysiology of CTEPD which arises from an incomplete resolution of thrombi in the pulmonary arteries and leads to stenosis and occlusion of the vessels. The article focuses mainly on the chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) subpopulation for which prognosis is very poor when left untreated. We describe a multimodal approach to treating CTEPH, including pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA), BPA, and pharmacological therapies. Additionally, the benefits of pharmacological pre-treatment before BPA and the technical aspects of the procedure itself are outlined. It is emphasized that BPA does not replace PEA but serves as a complementary treatment option for eligible patients. We summarized efficacy and treatment goals including an improvement in functional and biochemical parameters before and after BPA. Patients who received pre-treatment with riociguat prior to BPA exhibited a notable reduction in the occurrence of less severe complications. However, elderly patients are still perceived as an especially vulnerable group. It is shown that the prognosis of patients undergoing BPA is similar to PEA in the first years after the procedure but the long-term prognosis of BPA still remains unclear. The 2022 ESC/ERS guidelines highlight the significant role of BPA in the multimodal treatment of CTEPH, emphasizing its effectiveness and recommending its consideration as a therapeutic option for patients with CTEPD, both with and without pulmonary hypertension. This review summarizes the available evidence for BPA, patient selection, procedural details, and prognosis and discusses the potential future role of BPA in the management of CTEPH.

Multimodality OCT, IVUS and FFR evaluation of coronary intermediate grade lesions in women vs. men.

Background: The pathophysiology of atherosclerotic plaque formation and its vulnerability seem to differ between genders due to contrasting risk profiles and sex hormones, however this process is still insufficiently understood. The aim of the study was to compare the differences between sexes regarding the optical coherence tomography (OCT), intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and fractional flow reserve (FFR)-derived coronary plaque indices. Methods: In this single-center multimodality imaging study patients with intermediate grade coronary stenoses identified in coronary angiogram (CAG) were evaluated using OCT, IVUS and FFR. Stenoses were considered significant when the FFR value was ≤0.8. Minimal lumen area (MLA), was analyzed by OCT in addition to plaque stratification into fibrotic, calcific, lipidic and thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA). IVUS was used for evaluation of lumen-, plaque- and vessel volume, as well as plaque burden. Results: A total of 112 patients (88 men and 24 women) with chronic coronary syndromes (CCS), who underwent CAG were enrolled. No significant differences in baseline characteristics were present between the study groups. The mean FFR was 0.76 (0.73-0.86) in women and 0.78 ± 0.12 in men (p = 0.695). OCT evaluation showed a higher prevalence of calcific plaques among women than men p = 0.002 whereas lipid plaques were more frequent in men (p = 0.04). No significant differences regarding minimal lumen diameter and minimal lumen area were found between the sexes. In IVUS analysis women presented with significantly smaller vessel area, plaque area, plaque volume, vessel volume (11.1 ± 3.3 mm2 vs. 15.0 ± 4.6 mm2 p = 0.001, 6.04 ± 1.7 mm2 vs. 9.24 ± 2.89 mm2 p < 0.001, 59.8 ± 35.2 mm3 vs. 96.3 (52.5-159.1) mm3 p = 0.005, 106.9 ± 59.8 mm3 vs. 153.3 (103-253.4) mm3 p = 0.015 respectively). At MLA site plaque burden was significantly greater for men than women (61.50 ± 7.7% vs. 55.5 ± 8.0% p = 0.005). Survival did not differ significantly between women and men (94.6 ± 41.9 months and 103.51 ± 36.7 months respectively; p = 0.187). Conclusion: The presented study did not demonstrate significant differences in FFR values between women and men, yet a higher prevalence of calcific plaques by OCT and lower plaque burden at the MLA site by IVUS was found in women vs. men.

Treatment of high- and intermediate-high-risk pulmonary embolism by the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team: Focus on catheter-directed therapies.

BACKGROUND: Multidisciplinary Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams (PERTs) were established to individualize the treatment of high-risk (HR) and intermediate-high-risk (IHR) pulmonary embolism (PE) patients, which pose a challenge in clinical practice. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the data of all HR and IHR acute PE patients consulted by PERT CELZAT between September 2017 and October 2022. The patient population was divided into four different treatment methods: anticoagulation alone (AC), systemic thrombolysis (ST), surgical embolectomy (SE), and catheter-directed therapies (CDTx). Baseline clinical characteristics, risk stratification, PE severity parameters, and treatment outcomes were compared between the four groups. RESULTS: Of the 110 patients with HR and IHR PE, 67 (61%) patients were treated with AC only, 11 (10%) with ST, 15 (14%) underwent SE, and 17 (15%) were treated with CTDx. The most common treatment option in the HR group was reperfusion therapy, used in 20/24 (83%) cases, including ST in 7 (29%) patients, SE in 5 (21%) patients, and CTDx in 8 (33%) patients. In contrast, IHR patients were treated with AC alone in 63/86 (73%) cases. The in-hospital mortality rate was 9/24 (37.5%) in the HR group and 4/86 (4.7%) in the IHR group. CONCLUSIONS: The number of advanced procedures aimed at reperfusion was substantially higher in the HR group than in the IHR PE group. Despite the common use of advanced reperfusion techniques in the HR group, patient mortality remained high. There is a need further to optimize the treatment of patients with HR PE to improve outcomes.

Roadmap towards an institutional Impella programme for high-risk coronary interventions.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) and its complications remain the main cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Patients with extensive CAD and multiple comorbidities who require complex, high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (HR-PCI) are at risk of haemodynamic instability and may require short-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS) during the procedure to maintain sufficient perfusion and prevent ischaemia. Impella is a microaxial continuous blood flow pump used for percutaneous support of the left ventricle in patients undergoing HR-PCI. Data from randomized controlled trials and registries suggested an advantage for Impella devices in patients undergoing HR-PCI, compared with other types of MCS. As a thorough understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of the Impella technology is crucial for patient outcomes, we provide a technological overview of Impella and share our experiences gathered during the implementation of institutional Impella programmes in Poland as a roadmap of selection and periprocedural care for patients treated with Impella in the setting of HR-PCI. We propose 10 steps for implementation of an institutional Impella programme for HR-PCI, including (i) dedicated staff training; (ii) standard operating procedure and troubleshooting algorithms prior to the first intervention; (iii) patient selection by the multidisciplinary Heart Team; (iv) patient preparation using multimodality imaging; (v) procedure planning in terms of large-bore access, equipment, and complete revascularization; (vi) starting with HR-PCI support; (vii) starting with femoral artery access in a patient without extensive peripheral artery disease; (viii) multidisciplinary care after the procedure; (ix) haemodynamic and laboratory monitoring to ensure immediate diagnosis of access-site complications, bleeding, haemolysis, acute kidney injury, and infections; and (x) careful revision of every HR-PCI case with the team.

Catheter-directed mechanical aspiration thrombectomy in a real-world pulmonary embolism population: a multicenter registry.

AIMS: High- (HR) and intermediate-high risk (IHR) pulmonary embolisms (PEs) are related to high early mortality and long-term sequelae. We aimed to describe clinical outcomes and adverse events in IHR and HR pulmonary embolism (PE) treated with catheter-directed mechanical thrombectomy (CDMT) in a real-world population. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study is a multicenter, prospective registry enrolling 110 PE patients treated with CDMT between 2019 and 2022. The CDMT was performed using the 8F Indigo (Penumbra, Alameda, CA, USA) system bilaterally in pulmonary arteries (PAs). The primary safety endpoints included device or PE-related death during the 48-h after CDMT, procedure-related major bleeding, or other major adverse events. Secondary safety outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization or the follow-up. The primary efficacy outcomes were the reduction of PA pressures and change in the right-to-left ventricular (RV/L) ratio assessed in the imaging 24-48 h after the CDMT.71.8% of patients had IHR PE and 28.2% HR PE. 11.8% of patients had a failure and 34.5% had contraindications to thrombolysis, and 2.7% had polytrauma. There was 0.9% intraprocedural death related to RV failure and 5.5% deaths within the first 48 h. CDMT was complicated by major bleeding in 1.8%, pulmonary artery injury in 1.8%, and ischaemic stroke in 0.9%. Immediate haemodynamic improvements included a 10.4 ± 7.8 mmHg (19.7%) drop in systolic PAP (P < 0.0001), a 6.1 ± 4.2 mmHg (18.8%) drop in mean PAP, and 0.48 ± 0.4 (36%) drop in RV/LV ratio (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: These observational findings suggest that CDMT may improve hemodynamics with an acceptable safety profile in patients with IHR and HR PE.

Complications following transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair: Personal experience and review of the literature.

Mitral valve dysfunction affects around 2% of the population and its incidence is still increasing, making it the second most common valvular heart disease, after aortic stenosis. Depending on the etiology of the disease, it can be classified into primary or secondary mitral regurgitation. The first line of treatment is optimal medical therapy. If ineffective, mitral valve intervention can be considered. For patients disqualified from surgical treatment, transcatheter edge-to-edge repair with the use of MitraClip may be considered. Over 100,000 MitraClip procedures have been performed which makes this the most established transcatheter technique for the treatment of severe mitral regurgitation. The aim of this review is to discuss the technical details of the MitraClip procedure, clinical evidence regarding the efficacy of MitraClip, complications related to the clip implantation alongside with acute complications based on the currently available evidence and clinical experience.

Role of catheter-directed therapies in the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism. Expert opinion of the Polish PERT Initiative, Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation, Association of Cardiovascular Interventions, and Association of Intensive Cardiac Care of the Polish Cardiac Society.

Thanks to advances in interventional cardiology technologies, catheter-directed treatment has become recently a viable therapeutic option in the treatment of patients with acute pulmonary embolism at high risk of early mortality. Current transcatheter techniques allow for local fibrinolysis or embolectomy with minimal risk of complications. Therefore, these procedures can be considered in high-risk patients as an alternative to surgical pulmonary embolectomy when systemic thrombolysis is contraindicated or ineffective. They are also considered in patients with intermediate-high-risk pulmonary embolism who do not improve or deteriorate clinically despite anticoagulation. The purpose of this article is to present the role of transcatheter techniques in the treatment of patients with acute pulmonary embolism. We describe current knowledge and expert opinions in this field. Interventional treatment is described in the broader context of patient care organization and therapeutic modalities. We present the organization and responsibilities of pulmonary embolism response team, role of pre-procedural imaging, periprocedural anticoagulation, patient selection, timing of intervention, and intensive care support. Currently available catheter-directed therapies are discussed in detail including standardized protocols and definitions of procedural success and failure. This expert opinion has been developed in collaboration with experts from various Polish scientific societies, which highlights the role of teamwork in caring for patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

Cancer-associated thrombosis: comparison of characteristics, treatment, and outcomes in oncologic and nononcologic patients followed by a pulmonary embolism response team.

INTRODUCTION: The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with cancer is currently 12 times higher than in the general population, and even 23 times higher when they receive chemotherapy. The main goal of the pulmonary embolism response team at the Center for the Management of Pulmonary Embolism (PERT­CELZAT) is to improve prognosis through interdisciplinary care, with a particular focus on patients with contraindications to standard pharmacologic treatment, requiring individual decision­making, including a wider use of interventional therapeutic methods. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were to report and compare the characteristics and outcomes of pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with and without cancer treated by the PERT­CELZAT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The analysis included 235 patients diagnosed with VTE who were consulted by local PERT between September 2017 and December 2021. The study group was divided into 2 cohorts: oncologic patients (OP) and nononcologic patients (NOP). There were 81 patients in the OP group (mean [SD] age, 66.2 [14.1] years) and 154 patients in the NOP group (mean age, 57.4 [17.4] years). RESULTS: The OPs were older and more frequently diagnosed with incidental PE. In­hospital mortality for all patients reached 6.4% (15/235), 3.7% in the OP and 7.8% in the NOP group (P = 0.27). In­hospital events, such as major bleeding, minor bleeding, recurrent PE, and deep venous thrombosis occurred with similar frequency in both groups. Posthospital mortality up to 12 months after the PE diagnosis was 12.8% (10/78) in the OP and 4.2% (6/142) in the NOP group (P = 0.03). In a long­term survival analysis, cancer was associated with increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio, 2.44 [95% CI, 1.51-3.95]; P <0.001) when adjusted for age. CONCLUSIONS: The multidisciplinary therapeutic approach may provide the OPs with VTE an in­hospital survival rate noninferior to that of the NOPs. The OPs died more often in the following months, because of their underlying neoplastic disease.

Catheter-directed therapy to treat intermediateand high-risk pulmonary embolism: Personal experience and review of the literature.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death in the western world. Prompt recognition, risk stratification, and individualized treatment are crucial to improve outcomes in patients with PE. Anticoagulation alone is a sufficient therapeutic option in low-risk patients, whereas primary reperfusion with systemic thrombolysis (ST) is usually chosen in high-risk patients. The choice of treatment in intermediate-risk patients is complex and depends on the clinical presentation. Catheter-directed therapy (CDTh) includes all therapies delivered via a catheter placed in the branches of the pulmonary arteries directly into the thrombus. Because ST bears a high risk of major bleeding and numerous patients have contraindications to ST, CDTh is an alternative to ST in intermediate- and high-risk PE patients. CDTh includes local thrombolysis using low-dose alteplase, ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis, and mechanical fragmentation and aspiration of the thrombi, as well as their combinations. In this review article, we have summarized devices and technical details for CDTh, discussed the efficacy and safety of CDTh in comparison to ST in previous clinical trials, and outlined future research directions regarding CDTh, both based on the literature and our personal experience from the local PE Response Team of the Center for the Management of Pulmonary Embolism (CELZAT) in Warsaw.

Haemodynamic monitoring in acute heart failure - what you need to know.

Acute heart failure (AHF) is a sudden, life-threatening condition, defined as a gradual or rapid onset of symptoms and/or signs of HF. AHF requires urgent medical attention, being the most frequent cause of unplanned hospital admission in patients above 65 years of age. AHF is associated with a 4-12% in-hospital mortality rate and a 21-35% 1-year mortality rate post-discharge. Considering the serious prognosis in AHF patients, it is very important to understand the mechanisms and haemodynamic status in an individual AHF patient, thus preventing end-organ failure and death. Haemodynamic monitoring is a serial assessment of cardiovascular function, intended to detect physiologic abnormalities at the earliest stages, determine which interventions could be most effective, and provide the basis for initiating the most appropriate therapy and evaluate its effects. Over the past decades, haemodynamic monitoring techniques have evolved greatly. Nowadays, they range from very invasive to non-invasive, from intermittent to continuous, and in terms of the provided parameters. Invasive techniques contain pulmonary artery catheterization and transpulmonary thermodilution. Minimally invasive techniques include oesophageal Doppler and noncalibrated pulse wave analysis. Non-invasive techniques contain echocardiography, bioimpedance, and bioreactance techniques as well as non-invasive pulse contour methods. Each of these techniques has specific indications and limitations. In this article, we aimed to provide a pathophysiological explanation of the physical terms and parameters used for haemodynamic monitoring in AHF and to summarize the working principles, advantages, and disadvantages of the currently used methods of haemodynamic monitoring.

Catheter-Based Therapies Decrease Mortality in Patients With Intermediate and High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism: Evidence From Meta-Analysis of 65,589 Patients.

Background: Catheter-directed therapies (CDT) are an alternative to systemic thrombolysis (ST) in pulmonary embolism (PE) patients, but the mortality benefit of CDT is unclear. Objective: We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of CDT and ST in intermediate-high and high-risk PE. Methods: We included (P) participants, adult PE patients; (I) intervention, CDT; (C) comparison, ST; (O) outcomes, mortality, complications, in-hospital treatment, and length of hospital stay; (S) study design, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), or cohort comparing CDT and ST. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included treatment-related complications including bleeding, the use of hospital resources, and length of hospital stay. Results: Eleven studies including 65,589 patients met the inclusion criteria. Thirty-day mortality was lower in the CDT group, compared to ST group [7.3 vs. 13.6%; odds ratio (OR) = 0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.38-0.69, p < 0.001]. The rates of myocardial injury, cardiac arrest, and stroke were lower in CDT group, compared to ST group (p < 0.001 for all). The rates of any major bleeding, intracranial hemorrhage, hemoptysis, and red blood cell transfusion were lower in patients treated with CDT, compared to ST (p ≤ 0.01 for all). Extracorporeal life support was used more often in patients treated with CDT, compared to ST (0.5 vs. 0.2%, OR = 2.52, 95% CI 1.88-3.39, p < 0.001). The use of hospital resources and length of hospital stay were comparable in both groups. Conclusion: CDT might decrease mortality in patients with intermediate-high and high-risk PE and were associated with fewer complications, including major bleeding.