Comparative Analysis of Polymer Versus Non-Polymer Jacketed Wires in Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

There is significant variation in wire utilization patterns for chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of polymer-jacketed wires (PJWs) versus non-PJWs in anterograde procedures. We analyzed clinical and angiographic characteristics, and procedural outcomes of 7,575 anterograde CTO percutaneous coronary interventions that were performed at 47 centers between 2012 and 2023. Cases in which PJWs were exclusively used were classified in the PJW group, whereas cases where at least one non-PJW was employed were classified in the non-PJW group. Study end points were as follows: technical success, coronary perforation, major adverse cardiac event. PJWs were exclusively used in 3,481 cases (46.0%). These cases had lower prevalence of proximal cap ambiguity, blunt stump, and moderate/severe calcification. They also had lower Japanese CTO (J-CTO), Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion (PROGRESS-CTO), and PROGRESS-CTO complications scores, higher technical success (94.3% vs 85.7%, p <0.001), and lower perforation rates (2.2% vs 3.2%, p = 0.013). Major adverse cardiac event rates did not differ between groups (1.3% vs 1.5%, p = 0.53). Exclusive use of PJWs was independently associated with higher technical success in both the multivariable (odds ratio [OR] 2.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.13 to 3.36, p <0.001) and inverse probability of treatment weight analysis (OR 2.43, 95% CI 2.04 to 2.89, p <0.001). Exclusive use of PJWs was associated with lower risk of perforation in the multivariable analysis (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.95, p = 0.02), and showed a similar trend in the inverse probability of treatment weight analysis (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.57 to 1.04, p = 0.09). Exclusive use of PJWs is associated with higher technical success and lower perforation risk in this non-randomized series of patients.

Atrial fibrillation and chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention outcomes: insights from the Progress-CTO registry.

BACKGROUND: We examined the effect of atrial fibrillation on the outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: We examined the baseline characteristics and procedural outcomes of 9,166 CTO PCIs performed at 39 US and non-US centers between 2012 and 2023. RESULTS: Atrial fibrillation was present in 1122 (12%) patients. These patients were older and had a higher incidence of comorbidities, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, and lower eGFR. Their CTOs were more likely to have moderate to severe calcification and longer lesion length. They also had higher mean J-CTO and PROGRESS-CTO complications (Acute MI, MACE, Mortality, Perforation, and Pericardiocentesis) scores. Patients with atrial fibrillation had higher prevalence of uncrossable and undilatable CTO lesions and required longer procedure (107 vs 119 min; P less than .001) and fluoroscopy (40 vs 43 min; P=.005) time. Technical success and MACE, including procedural/in-hospital bleeding, were similar in patients with and without atrial fibrillation. Although the crude incidence of MACE on follow-up (median 61 days) was significantly higher in patients with atrial fibrillation, the latter was not independently associated with adverse events on Cox proportional hazards analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing CTO PCI are older, have more comorbidities, higher lesion complexity, and longer procedure time, but similar technical success and in-hospital MACE. They have higher MACE and mortality during follow-up, but the difference is not significant after adjusting for potential confounding variables.

Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in Patients With Previous Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery.

The outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in patients with previous coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery have received limited study. We examined the baseline characteristics and outcomes of CTO PCIs performed at 47 United States and non-United States centers between 2012 and 2023. Of the 12,164 patients who underwent CTO PCI during the study period, 3,475 (29%) had previous CABG. Previous CABG patients were older, more likely to be men, and had more comorbidities and lower left ventricular ejection fraction and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Their CTOs were more likely to have moderate/severe calcification and proximal tortuosity, proximal cap ambiguity, longer lesion length, and higher Japanese CTO scores. The first and final successful crossing strategy was more likely to be retrograde. Previous CABG patients had lower technical (82.1% vs 88.2%, p <0.001) and procedural (80.8% vs 86.8%, p <0.001) success, higher in-hospital mortality (0.8% vs 0.3%, p <0.001), acute myocardial infarction (0.9% vs 0.5%, p = 0.007) and perforation (7.0% vs 4.2%, p <0.001) but lower incidence of pericardial tamponade and pericardiocentesis (0.1% vs 1.3%, p <0.001). At 2-year follow-up, the incidence of major adverse cardiac events, repeat PCI and acute coronary syndrome was significantly higher in previous CABG patients, whereas all-cause mortality was similar. In conclusion, patients with previous CABG who underwent CTO PCI had more complex clinical and angiographic characteristics and lower success rate, higher perioperative mortality, and myocardial infarction but lower tamponade, and higher incidence of major adverse cardiac events with similar all-cause mortality during follow-up.

Distal Target Vessel Quality and Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Distal vessel quality is a key parameter in the global chronic total occlusion (CTO) crossing algorithm. OBJECTIVES: The study sought to evaluate the association of distal vessel quality with the outcomes of CTO percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS: We examined the clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of 10,028 CTO percutaneous coronary interventions performed at 39 U.S. and non-U.S. centers between 2012 and 2022. A poor-quality distal vessel was defined as <2 mm diameter or with significant diffuse atherosclerotic disease. In-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE) included death, myocardial infarction, urgent repeat target vessel revascularization, tamponade requiring pericardiocentesis or surgery, and stroke. RESULTS: A total of 33% of all CTO lesions had poor-quality distal vessel. When compared with good-quality distal vessels, CTO lesions with a poor-quality distal vessel had higher J-CTO (Japanese chronic total occlusion) scores (2.7 ± 1.1 vs 2.2 ± 1.3; P < 0.01), lower technical (79.9% vs 86.9%; P < 0.01) and procedural (78.0% vs 86.8%; P < 0.01) success, and higher incidence of MACE (2.5% vs 1.7%; P < 0.01) and perforation (6.4% vs 3.7%; P < 0.01). A poor-quality distal vessel was independently associated with technical failure and MACE. Poor-quality distal vessels were associated with higher use of the retrograde approach (25.2% vs 14.9%; P < 0.01) and higher air kerma radiation dose (2.4 [IQR: 1.3-4.0] Gy vs 2.0 [IQR: 1.1-3.5] Gy; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A poor-quality distal vessel in CTO lesions is associated with higher lesion complexity, higher need for retrograde crossing, lower technical and procedural success, higher incidence of MACE and coronary perforation, and higher radiation dose.

Laser for balloon uncrossable and undilatable chronic total occlusion interventions.

BACKGROUND: There is limited information on use of laser in complex percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). We examined the impact of laser on the outcomes of balloon uncrossable and balloon undilatable chronic total occlusion (CTO) PCI. METHODS: We reviewed baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of 4845 CTO PCIs performed between 2012 and 2020 at 32 centers. RESULTS: Of the 4845 CTO lesions, 752 (15.5%) were balloon uncrossable (523 cases) or balloon undilatable (356 cases) and were included in this analysis. Mean patient age was 66.9 ± 10 years and 83% were men. Laser was used in 20.3% of the lesions. Compared with cases in which laser was not used, laser was more commonly used in longer length occlusions (33 [21, 50] vs. 25 [15, 40] mm, p = 0.0004) and in-stent restenotic lesions (41% vs. 20%, p < 0.0001). Laser use was associated with higher technical (91.5% vs. 83.1%, p = 0.010) and procedural (88.9% vs. 81.6%, p = 0.033) success rates and similar incidence of major adverse cardiac events (3.92% vs. 3.51%, p = 0.805). Laser use was associated with longer procedural (169 [109, 231] vs. 130 [87, 199], p < 0.0001) and fluoroscopy time (64 [40, 94] vs. 50 [31, 81], p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: In a contemporary, multicenter registry balloon uncrossable and balloon undilatable lesions represented 15.5% of all CTO PCIs. Laser was used in approximately one-fifth of these cases and was associated with high technical and procedural success and similar major complication rates.

In-Stent CTO Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Individual Patient Data Pooled Analysis of 4 Multicenter Registries.

OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to examine the outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for in-stent restenosis (ISR) chronic total occlusions (CTOs). BACKGROUND: The outcomes of PCI for ISR CTOs have received limited study. METHODS: The authors examined the clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of 11,961 CTO PCIs performed in 11,728 patients at 107 centers in Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia between 2012 and 2020, pooling patient-level data from 4 multicenter registries. In-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) included death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and tamponade. Long-term MACE were defined as the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization. RESULTS: ISR represented 15% of the CTOs (n = 1,755). Patients with ISR CTOs had higher prevalence of diabetes (44% vs. 38%; p < 0.0001) and prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery (27% vs. 24%; p = 0.03). Mean J-CTO (Multicenter CTO Registry in Japan) score was 2.32 ± 1.27 in the ISR group and 2.22 ± 1.27 in the de novo group (p = 0.01). Technical (85% vs. 85%; p = 0.75) and procedural (84% vs. 84%; p = 0.82) success was similar for ISR and de novo CTOs, as was the incidence of in-hospital MACE (1.7% vs. 2.2%; p = 0.25). Antegrade wiring was the most common successful strategy, in 70% of ISR and 60% of de novo CTOs, followed by retrograde crossing (16% vs. 23%) and antegrade dissection and re-entry (15% vs. 16%; p < 0.0001). At 12 months, patients with ISR CTOs had a higher incidence of MACE (hazard ratio: 1.31; 95% confidence interval: 1.01 to 1.70; p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: ISR CTOs represent 15% of all CTO PCIs and can be recanalized with similar success and in-hospital MACE as de novo CTOs.

Complex Left Atrial Appendage Morphology Is an Independent Risk Factor for Cryptogenic Ischemic Stroke.

Importance: Ischemic strokes pose a significant health burden. However, the etiology of between 20 and 40% of these events remains unknown. Left atrial appendage morphology may influence the occurrence of thromboembolic events. Design: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the role of LAA morphology in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and cardioembolic-associated stroke and patients with cryptogenic stroke without atrial fibrillation. LAA morphology is classified into two groups: (1) simple (chicken-wing) vs. (2) complex (non-chicken wing) based on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) findings. In addition to the LAA morphology, left atrial parameters, including orifice diameter, depth, emptying velocity, and filling velocity, were collected for both groups. Mathematical, computational models were constructed to investigate flow velocities in chicken-wing and non-chicken wing morphological patterns to assess LAA function further. Findings: TEE values for volume, size, emptying, and filling velocities were similar between simple and complex LAA morphology groups. Patients with cryptogenic stroke without coexisting AF were noted to have significantly higher rates of complex LAA morphology. Chicken-wing LAA morphology was associated with four-fold higher flow rate (kg/s) in computational simulations. Conclusions: Complex LAA morphology may be an independent contributing factor for cryptogenic strokes. Further studies are warranted to investigate the mechanism involved in LAA morphology and thromboembolic events.