Case Report: Asymptomatic SARS-COV2 infection triggering recurrent Takotsubo syndrome.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a rare disease mimicking acute coronary syndrome, often triggered by physical or emotional stress, and characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction. Recurrences are described in about 5% of cases and may have different clinical and imaging patterns. In the present report, SARS-COV-2 infection, even in the absence of symptoms and overt emotional stress, seems correlated with recurrence of TTS, due to the absence of other recognized triggers. The hypothesis is that in predisposed patients, events like catecholamine-induced myocyte injury, direct viral damage, cytokine storm, immune-mediated damage, and procoagulant state, all possibly induced by the infection, may elicit endothelial dysfunction as substrate for TTS onset.

Prolactin Inhibition to Treat Postpartum Arrhythmic Storm.

Postpartum electrical storm due to torsade de pointes is a rare but life-threatening condition. The uniqueness of this case lies in the use of cabergoline to suppress postpartum ventricular arrhythmias in absence of heart disease. Timely multidisciplinary management is crucial to achieve final diagnosis, deliver proper treatment and improve prognosis.

2-year outcomes of MitraClip as a bridge to heart transplantation: The international MitraBridge registry.

BACKGROUND: In the first report from the MitraBridge registry, MitraClip as a bridge to heart transplantation (HTx) proved to be at 1-year an effective treatment strategy for 119 patients with advanced heart failure (HF) who were potential candidates for HTx. We aimed to determine if benefits of MitraClip procedure as a bridge-to-transplant persist up to 2-years. METHODS: By the end of the enrollment period, a total of 153 advanced HF patients (median age 59 years, left ventricular ejection fraction 26.9 ± 7.7%) with significant secondary mitral regurgitation, who were potential candidates for HTx and were treated with MitraClip as a bridge-to-transplant strategy, were included in the MitraBridge registry. The primary endpoint was the 2-year composite adverse events rate of all-cause death, first hospitalization for HF, urgent HTx or LVAD implantation. RESULTS: Procedural success was achieved in 89.5% of cases. Thirty-day mortality was 0%. At 2-year, Kaplan-Meier estimates of freedom from primary endpoint was 47%. Through 24 months, the annualized rate of HF rehospitalization per patient-year was 44%. After an overall median follow-up time of 26 (9-52) months, elective HTx was successfully performed in 30 cases (21%), 19 patients (13.5%) maintained or obtained the eligibility for transplant, and 32 patients (22.5%) no longer had an indication for HTx because of significant clinical improvement. CONCLUSIONS: After 2-years of follow-up, the use of MitraClip as a bridge-to-transplant was confirmed as an effective strategy, allowing elective HTx or eligibility for transplant in one third of patients, and no more need for transplantation in 22.5% of cases.

[Right heart catheterization in Italian catheterization laboratories: results of the SICI-GISE national survey promoted by the GISE Young Committee]. / Il cateterismo cardiaco destro nei laboratori di emodinamica italiani: risultati dell'indagine nazionale SICI-GISE promossa dal Comitato GISE Young.

BACKGROUND: Over the past decades, the improvements in the diagnostic power and availability of non-invasive cardiac imaging techniques have led to a decline of right heart catheterization (RHC) performance. However, RHC remains the gold standard for diagnosing pulmonary hypertension and an essential tool for the evaluation of patient candidacy to heart transplantation. METHODS: This survey was carried out jointly by the Young Committee of GISE, with the support of the SICI-GISE Society, and the ICOT group, with the aim of evaluating how the interventional cardiology community perform RHC. A web-based questionnaire based on 20 questions was distributed to SICI-GISE members. RESULTS: The survey was distributed to 1550 physicians with 174 (11%) responses. Most centers perform few procedures per year (<10 RHC/year) and a dedicated cardiologist is usually lacking. Patients were frequently admitted as ordinary hospitalization regimen and the most frequent indication for RHC was the hemodynamic assessment of pulmonary hypertension, followed by diagnostics of valvular diseases and advanced heart failure/heart transplantation. Indeed, the majority of participants (86%) are involved in transcatheter procedures for structural heart disease. The average time taken to perform the RHC was approximately 30-60 min. The femoral access (60%) was the most frequently used, usually by an echo-guided approach. Two-thirds of participants discontinued oral anticoagulant therapy before RHC. Only 27% of centers assess wedge position from an integrated analysis. Furthermore, the edge pressure is detected in the end-diastolic cardiac phase in half cases and in the end-expiratory phase in only 31%. The most commonly used method for cardiac output calculation was the indirect Fick method (58%). CONCLUSIONS: Guidance on the best practice for performing RHC is currently lacking. A more precise standardization of this demanding procedure is warranted.

How to deal with vessel diameter mismatch in left main bifurcation stenting.

Left main coronary artery percutaneous coronary intervention is particularly complex when stenting across the distal bifurcation is required in the presence of a diameter mismatch between the proximal main and distal branches. A suboptimal procedural result increases the risk of thrombosis and restenosis. Considering the paucity of data published on this topic, our objective was to provide technical solutions to deal with this complex anatomy. We described four cases showing the use of devices and techniques which allowed us to overcome a diameter discrepancy between adjacent coronary segments: (1) self-expanding nitinol stent; (2) stent platform with noteworthy expansion capacity; (3) the 'extended skirt' technique; (4) the 'trouser-leg' technique. In conclusion, the use of specific strategies and devices allows a safe and effective approach to be used to perform treatment that respects the coronary anatomy, and to optimize percutaneous coronary intervention results in complex scenarios.

Immediate coronary angiography and systematic targeted temperature management are associated with improved outcome in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest.

Rapid and systematic access to coronary angiography (CAG) and target temperature management (TTM) might improve outcome in comatose patients who survive cardiac arrest (CA). However, there is controversy around indicating immediate CAG in the absence of transmural ischemia on the electrocardiogram after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). We evaluated the short- and long-term outcome of patients undergoing systematic CAG and TTM, based on whether culprit lesion percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed. All consecutive comatose CA survivors without obvious extra-cardiac causes undergoing TTM were included. Analysis involved the entire population and subgroups, namely patients with initial unshockable rhythm, no ST elevation on electrocardiogram, and good neurological recovery. We enrolled 107 patients with a median age of 64.9 (57.7-73.6) years. The initial rhythm was shockable in 83 (77.6%). Sixty-six (61.7%) patients underwent PCI. In-hospital survival was 71%. It was 78.8% and 58.5% in those undergoing or not PCI (p = 0.022), respectively. Age, time from CA to ROSC and culprit lesion PCI were independent predictors of in-hospital survival. Long-term survival was significantly higher in patients who underwent PCI (respectively 61.5% vs 34.1%; Log-rank: p = 0.002). Revascularization was associated with better outcomes regardless of initial rhythm (shockable vs non-shockable) and ST deviation (elevation vs no-elevation), and improved the long-term survival of patients discharged with good neurological recovery. Systematic CAG and revascularization, when indicated, were associated with higher survival in comatose patients undergoing TTM, regardless of initial rhythm and ST deviation in the post-ROSC electrocardiogram. The benefit was sustained at long-term particularly in those with neurological recovery.

Balloon aortic valvuloplasty: current status and future prospects.

INTRODUCTION: Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) improves hemodynamic and clinical status of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) for a limited period of 6-12 months. However, there is a high number of procedures performed worldwide and an upward trend over the last decades. AREAS COVERED: Epidemiology of AS and the advent of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) contribute to the extensive referral of patients. The expansion of recommendations for TAVI has occasionally led to financial reimbursement-related problems that do not exist for BAV. BAV is indicated as a bridge to valve replacement, to decision in complex cases, and to extracardiac surgery. BAV may play a role in preparing for TAVI and optimizing procedural results. The minimalist approach and reduced complication rate make it applicable in fragile patients. EXPERT OPINION: In the near future, BAV will continue to be a useful asset in managing patients with AS given the multiple indications, broad applicability, safety profile, low cost, and repeatability. Specific studies are necessary to explore technical solutions, stronger indications, the finest technique, and to standardize the procedural result. Pending the development of potential competitive devices, the role that BAV plays will remain closely intertwined with the one played by TAVI.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in obese patients: procedural vascular complications with the trans-femoral and trans-carotid access routes.

OBJECTIVES: Obesity may increase the risk of vascular complications in transfemoral (TF) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. The transcarotid (TC) approach has recently emerged as an alternative access in TAVR. We sought to compare vascular complications and early clinical outcomes in obese patients undergoing TAVR either by TF or TC vascular access. METHODS: Multicentre registry including obese patients undergoing TF- or TC-TAVR in 15 tertiary centres. All patients received newer-generation transcatheter heart valves. For patients exhibiting unfavourable ileo-femoral anatomic characteristics, the TC approach was favoured in 3 centres with experience with it. A propensity score analysis was performed for overcoming unbalanced baseline covariates. The primary end point was the occurrence of in-hospital vascular complications (Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria). RESULTS: A total of 539 patients were included, 454 (84.2%) and 85 (15.8%) had a TF and TC access, respectively. In the propensity-adjusted cohort (TF: 442 patients; TC: 85 patients), both baseline and procedural valve-related characteristics were well-balanced between groups. A significant decrease in vascular complications was observed in the TC group (3.5% vs 12% in the TF group, odds ratio: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.07-0.95, P = 0.037). There were no statistically significant differences between groups regarding in-hospital mortality (TC: 2.8%, TF: 1.5%), stroke (TC: 1.2%, TF: 0.4%) and life-threatening/major bleeding events (TC: 2.8%, TF: 3.8%). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with obesity undergoing TAVR with newer-generation devices, the TC access was associated with a lower rate of vascular complications. Larger randomized studies are warranted to further assess the better approach for TAVR in obese patients.

[The shockwave: an ace in the hole?] / Lo shockwave: un asso nella manica?

In patients with severe calcified coronary lesions, angioplasty procedures are associated with significant technical problems and a higher rate of complications. Nowadays, intravascular lithotripsy represents a safe and effective system for the treatment of calcified coronary stenosis before stent deployment. In this article, we report three complex clinical or angiographic cases in which the use of coronary lithotripsy is not yet codified. Specifically, we discuss a case of stent underexpansion after primary angioplasty, a case of acute myocardial infarction due to left main subocclusive stenosis complicated by cardiogenic shock and a case of severely calcified plaque in a venous bypass graft. In these three cases, the use of shockwave was essential to ensure an optimal procedural result, in the absence of significant adverse clinical events.

Impact on clinical outcomes of right ventricular response to percutaneous correction of secondary mitral regurgitation.

AIMS: In patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR), impaired right ventricular function (RVF) may negatively influence the prognosis. Percutaneous mitral valve repair (pMVR) can promote the recovery of RVF. We sought to characterize the response of the right ventricle to pMVR in HFrEF with SMR and to assess the association between improved RVF after pMVR and outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Overall, 221 patients with HFrEF and SMR ≥3+ successfully treated with pMVR in four tertiary care centres for heart failure were included. Improved RVF was defined as Δ right ventricular fractional area change (ΔRVFAC) ≥5% at early follow-up (median time 4 months). The primary endpoint was a composite of death/heart transplantation (D/HT). Mean age was 69 ± 11 years, mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 31 ± 8% and mean RVFAC was 34 ± 9%. ΔRVFAC ≥5% occurred in 88 patients (40%) and was independent of the measures of left ventricular reverse remodelling. During a median follow-up of 29 months (interquartile range 12-46), 81 patients (37%) reached the primary endpoint. After adjustment for other significant covariates, ΔRVFAC ≥5% was significantly associated with lower risk of D/HT (hazard ratio 0.52, 95% confidence interval 0.29-0.94, P = 0.030). In the secondary outcome analysis exploring the risk of heart failure hospitalizations, ΔRVFAC ≥5% confirmed the prognostic association with the endpoint. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HFrEF and SMR, about 40% of patients improved RVF after pMVR. RVF improvement was associated with better long-term survival free from HT and lower risk of heart failure hospitalization.

Impact of Morbid Obesity and Obesity Phenotype on Outcomes After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background There is a paucity of outcome data on patients who are morbidly obese (MO) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement. We aimed to determine their periprocedural and midterm outcomes and investigate the impact of obesity phenotype. Methods and Results Consecutive patients who are MO (body mass index, ≥40 kg/m2, or ≥35 kg/m2 with obesity-related comorbidities; n=910) with severe aortic stenosis who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement in 18 tertiary hospitals were compared with a nonobese cohort (body mass index, 18.5-29.9 kg/m2, n=2264). Propensity-score matching resulted in 770 pairs. Pre-transcatheter aortic valve replacement computed tomography scans were centrally analyzed to assess adipose tissue distribution; epicardial, abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat. Major vascular complications were more common (6.6% versus 4.3%; P=0.043) and device success was less frequent (84.4% versus 88.1%; P=0.038) in the MO group. Freedom from all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were similar at 2 years (79.4 versus 80.6%, P=0.731; and 88.7 versus 87.4%, P=0.699; MO and nonobese, respectively). Multivariable analysis identified baseline glomerular filtration rate and nontransfemoral access as independent predictors of 2-year mortality in the MO group. An adverse MO phenotype with an abdominal visceral adipose tissue:subcutaneous adipose tissue ratio ≥1 (VAT:SAT) was associated with increased 2-year all-cause (hazard ratio [HR], 3.06; 95% CI, 1.20-7.77; P=0.019) and cardiovascular (hazard ratio, 4.11; 95% CI, 1.06-15.90; P=0.041) mortality, and readmissions (HR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.07-3.07; P=0.027). After multivariable analysis, a (VAT:SAT) ratio ≥1 remained a strong predictor of 2-year mortality (hazard ratio, 2.78; P=0.035). Conclusions Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients who are MO has similar short- and midterm outcomes to nonobese patients, despite higher major vascular complications and lower device success. An abdominal VAT:SAT ratio ≥1 identifies an obesity phenotype at higher risk of adverse clinical outcomes.

MitraClip in secondary mitral regurgitation as a bridge to heart transplantation: 1-year outcomes from the International MitraBridge Registry.

BACKGROUND: Patients awaiting heart transplantation (HTx) often need bridging therapies to reduce worsening and progression of underlying disease. Limited data are available regarding the use of the MitraClip procedure in secondary mitral regurgitation for this clinical condition. METHODS: We evaluated an international, multicenter (17 centers) registry including 119 patients (median age: 58 years) with moderate-to-severe or severe secondary mitral regurgitation and advanced heart failure (HF) (median left ventricular ejection fraction: 26%) treated with MitraClip as a bridge strategy according to 1 of the following criteria: (1) patients active on HTx list (in list group) (n = 31); (2) patients suitable for HTx but awaiting clinical decision (bridge to decision group) (n = 54); or (3) patients not yet suitable for HTx because of potentially reversible relative contraindications (bridge to candidacy group) (n = 34). RESULTS: Procedural success was achieved in 87.5% of cases, and 30-day survival was 100%. At 1 year, Kaplan-Meier estimates of freedom from the composite primary end-point (death, urgent HTx or left ventricular assist device implantation, first rehospitalization for HF) was 64%. At the time of last available follow-up (median: 532 days), 15% of patients underwent elective transplant, 15.5% remained or could be included in the HTx waiting list, and 23.5% had no more indication to HTx because of clinical improvement. CONCLUSIONS: MitraClip procedure as a bridge strategy to HTx in patients with advanced HF with significant mitral regurgitation was safe, and two thirds of patients remained free from adverse events at 1 year. These findings should be considered exploratory and hypothesis-generating to guide further study for percutaneous intervention in high-risk patients with advanced HF.

Routine minimalist transcatheter aortic valve implantation with local anesthesia only.

AIMS: Conscious sedation instead of general anesthesia has been increasingly adopted in many centers for transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Improvement of materials and operators' experience and reduction of periprocedural complications allowed procedural simplification and adoption of a minimalist approach. With this study, we sought to assess the feasibility and safety of transfemoral TAVR routinely performed under local anesthesia without on-site anesthesiology support. METHODS: The routine transfemoral TAVR protocol adopted at our center includes a minimalist approach, local anesthesia alone with fully awake patient, anesthesiologist available on call but not in the room, and direct transfer to the cardiology ward after the procedure. All consecutive patients undergoing transfemoral TAVR between January 2015 and July 2018 were included. We assessed the rates of actual local anesthesia-only procedures, conversion to conscious sedation or general anesthesia and 30-day clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Among 321 patients, 6 received general anesthesia upfront and 315 (98.1%) local anesthesia only. Mean age of the local anesthesia group was 83.2 ±â€Š6.9 years, Society of Thoracic Surgery score 5.8 ±â€Š4.8%. A balloon-expandable valve was used in 65.7%. Four patients (1.3%) shifted to conscious sedation because of pain or anxiety; 6 patients (1.9%) shifted to general anesthesia because of procedural complications. Hence, local anesthesia alone was possible in 305 patients (96.8% of the intended cohort, 95% of all transfemoral procedures). At 30 days, in the intended local anesthesia group, mortality was 1.6%, stroke 0.6%, major vascular complications 2.6%. Median hospital stay was 4 days (IQR 3-7). CONCLUSION: Transfemoral TAVR can be safely performed with local anesthesia alone and without an on-site anesthesiologist in the vast majority of patients.

Impact of Elective, Uncomplicated Target Lesion Revascularization on Cardiac Mortality After Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Disease.

This study sought to investigate the impact of elective, uncomplicated target lesion revascularization (TLR) on long-term cardiac mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease. Consecutive patients undergoing PCI for ULMCA disease between January 2003 and December 2015 in 1 interventional center in Northern Italy were included. Patients presenting with cardiogenic shock, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI), as well as those undergoing urgent or complicated TLR were excluded. The primary endpoint of the study was cardiac mortality. Among the 418 patients fulfilling the study criteria, 79 (18.46%) underwent elective, uncomplicated TLR. After a median follow-up of 5.5 years, there were 23 cardiac deaths among patients undergoing elective, uncomplicated TLR versus 50 in patients not undergoing TLR. After adjusting for possible confounders, TLR was an independent predictor of cardiac mortality (Hazard ratio [HZ] = 1.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05 to 3.49; p = 0.03). Patients undergoing TLR had also significantly higher rates of the composite of cardiac death, MI and stroke compared with the no TLR group (adjusted HR = 1.76, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.72). In conclusion, elective, uncomplicated TLR after PCI of ULMCA disease is associated with increased risk of long-term cardiac mortality. Reducing the risk of TLR after PCI of ULMCA disease may potentially improve the survival of these patients.

Long-term outcome of prosthesis-patient mismatch after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Incidence and long-term clinical consequences of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are still unclear. METHODS: We enrolled 710 consecutive patients who underwent TAVR. PPM was defined as absent if the index orifice area (iEOA) was >0.85 cm2/m2, moderate if the iEOA was between 0.65 and 0.85 cm2/m2 or severe if the iEOA was <0.65 cm2/m2. RESULTS: Among the 566 patients fulfilling the study criteria, the distribution of PPM was as follows: 50.5% none (n = 286), 43% moderate PPM (n = 243) and 6.5% severe PPM (n = 37). At 5-year follow-up, patients with severe PPM had a significantly higher incidence of the combined endpoint of cardiovascular death, acute myocardial infarction and stroke (p = .025) compared with the other patients. After adjusting the results for possible confounders, severe PPM remained an independent predictor of long-term adverse outcome (HR: 2.46; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.10-5.53). The independent predictors of severe PPM were valve-in-valve procedure and body mass index. Balloon-expandable valves were not associated with higher rates of severe PPM in comparison with self-expandable valves (8% vs. 5%, respectively, p = .245). CONCLUSIONS: In our study severe PPM emerged as a risk factor for long-term major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in cardiogenic shock: TAVI-shock registry results.

OBJECTIVES: Aim of this study is to evaluate safety, feasibility, and mid-term outcome of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in cardiogenic shock (CS). BACKGROUND: Balloon aortic valvuloplasty in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (SAS) complicated by CS is indicated but associated with a grim prognosis. TAVI might be a more reasonable treatment option in this setting but data are scant. METHODS: From March 2008 to February 2019, 51 patients with severe aortic valvulopathy (native SAS or degenerated aortic bioprosthesis) and CS treated by TAVI in 11 European centers were included in this multicenter registry. Demographic, clinical, and procedural data were collected, as well as clinical and echocardiographic follow-up. RESULTS: The mean age of our study population was 75.8 ± 13, 49% were women, and mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score was 19 ± 15%. Device success was achieved in 94.1%, with a 5% incidence of moderate/severe paravalvular leak. The 30-day events were mortality 11.8%, stroke 2.0%, vascular complications 5.9%, and acute kidney injury 34%. Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 early safety endpoint was reached in 35.3% of cases. At 1-year of follow-up, the mortality rate was 25.7% and the readmission for congestive heart failure was 8.6%. CONCLUSIONS: TAVI seems to be a therapeutic option for patients with CS and SAS or degenerated aortic bioprosthesis in terms of both safety and efficacy at early and long-term follow-up.

Long-term percentage of ventricular pacing in patients requiring pacemaker implantation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A multicenter 10-year experience.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that atrioventricular (AV) conduction may recover after pacemaker (PM) implantation following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), but little is known about long-term follow-up of such patients. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term percentage of right ventricular pacing in patients who underwent TAVR and required PM implantation stratified based on the indication for permanent pacing. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients who underwent TAVR from February 2008 to August 2019 at 3 centers was performed. Patients already implanted with a PM/implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) before TAVR, implanted with a cardiac resynchronization therapy device, or implanted >30 days after TAVR were excluded. Eligible patients were divided into 2 groups based on the presence (persistent atrioventricular block [AVB] group) or absence (nonpersistent AVB group) of persistent third-degree AVB after TAVR. RESULTS: A total of 1594 patients underwent TAVR. Two hundred four patients were implanted with a PM or ICD after TAVR and 32 met exclusion criteria, so 172 patients were eligible (median time TAVR-PM implant 4 days) for a total of 352 follow-up visits analyzed. A significant difference in the percentage of ventricular pacing was observed at follow-up performed 7-90 days after implantation (98% persistent AVB group vs 8% nonpersistent AVB group; P <.001). This difference remained significant at follow-up performed 91-270 days (95% vs 3.5%; P <.001), 271-540 days (95.5% vs 3%; P = .006), and 541-900 days (97.4% vs 2.2%; P <.001) after implantation. CONCLUSION: Patients requiring PM implantation due to persistent third-degree AVB after TAVR were less likely to show AV conduction recovery, whereas patients implanted for other indications showed a low percentage of pacing during follow-up.