Clinical and angiographic outcomes of true vs. false lumen stenting of coronary chronic total occlusions: Insights from intravascular ultrasound.

OBJECTIVES: The clinical implications of subintimal stenting (SS) of the recanalized chronic total occlusion (CTO) segment have not been characterized. We evaluated the in-hospital and the long-term clinical and angiographic outcomes of drug-eluting stents (DESs) deployed in true vs. false lumen of successfully recanalized CTO. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two independent reviewers analyzed the intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images of 173 successfully recanalized CTO lesions (157 patients), between August 2011 and October 2012. After successful guidewire (GW) crossing, lesions were classified according to IVUS evaluation into two groups: (1) true lumen (TL) stenting group and (2) SS group; and compared with regards to in-hospital and long-term clinical outcomes. In 154 lesions, DESs were deployed in the TL; and in 19 (11%) lesions, DESs were deployed in the subintimal space (95% confidence interval: 6.3-15.6%). False GW tracking in the SS group resulted in increased rates of IVUS-detected dissection flaps (84% vs. 42.6%, P ≤ 0.001), intramural hematoma (32 vs. 11%, P = 0.01), and minor perforations 6/19 (31.6% vs. 8.4%, P = 0.002). At 1-year follow-up, both groups had similar cumulative rates of binary restenosis and target lesion revascularization (P = 0.73 and P = 0.97, respectively). Six patients (4.6%, 6/129 patients) in the TL group and none in the subintimal group died at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Acknowledging some limitations, our observations may suggest that, subintimal stent deployment in a recanalized CTO segments, using second generation DES and IVUS guidance, might have a comparable success rate and long-term angiographic and clinical outcomes as TL stenting.

Influence of arterial stiffness on cardiovascular outcome in patients without high blood pressure.

OBJECTIVE: Although blood pressure (BP) is a major determinant of arterial stiffness, whether high pulse wave velocity (PWV) adversely influences cardiac parameters and cardiovascular (CV) outcome in patients without high BP remains unclear. METHODS: Outpatients without high BP (n=320), defined as systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg, were enrolled in this retrospective study. At baseline, all patients underwent echocardiography and multidetector CT to determine the coronary artery calcification (CAC) score. Arterial stiffness was assessed based on brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV), from which patients were classified into two groups: those with high (≥18 m/s, n=89) and low baPWV (<18 m/s, n=231). Cardiac parameters and CV event incidence during the follow-up period were compared between these groups. RESULTS: In multivariable linear regression analysis, baPWV was significantly associated with CAC score and serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide hormone level, after adjustment for confounding factors. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, baPWV ≥18 m/s was significantly associated with CAC score ≥400 (OR 2.466, 95% CI 1.012 to 6.009, p=0.0471). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the high-baPWV group experienced more CV events during the 575 days of follow-up (20% vs 6%, p=0.0003). CONCLUSIONS: High baPWV was associated with greater CAC and a high risk of a future CV event, especially coronary artery disease, even in patients without high BP.

Clinical and angiographic outcomes of axial stent deformations in unrestricted real world patient population.

BACKGROUND: Prior reports have suggested that the design of the Promus Element stent is prone to longitudinal stent deformation (LSD). However, little is known about the clinical and angiographic outcomes of Promus Element stent axial deformations when implanted in unrestricted coronary lesions. METHOD AND RESULTS: Two independent reviewers retrospectively evaluated the procedure steps of 961 Promus Element stent (833 de novo lesions in 494 consecutive patients) implanted in unrestricted coronary lesions, between February 2012 and March 2013, and compared the prevalence, predictors, and the mid-term clinical and angiographic outcomes between lesions with and without stent deformation. Fifteen stents (1.56%) with LSD were observed (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78-2.34%). The proximal edge of the stent was deformed in 13 stents (86.6%). Ostial stenting (Adjusted Odds ratio [OR]: 9; 95%CI: 2.27-33.3; P = 0.002), and bifurcation lesions (Adjusted OR: 3; 95%CI: 1.03-8.8; P = 0.04) were independently associated with the occurrence of stent deformation. LSD led to unplanned stenting in (53%, 8 of 15) of the deformed stents, which consumed larger contrast volume and longer fluoroscopy time. At 8-month follow-up, there was no significant difference in binary restenosis rate and target lesions revascularization between both groups (P = 0.98, and P = 0.56, respectively), while death occurred in six patients of the non-LSD group (1.36%, 6 of 440) and none in the LSD group. All patients of the LSD group had no major adverse clinical events at 8-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Axial stent deformation in Promus Element platform is an infrequent event, occurs following manipulation of the interventional tools. Other than unplanned stenting, the LSD was not associated with any adverse clinical events at 8-month follow-up.

A case of life-threatening supraventricular tachycardia storm associated with theophylline toxicity.

A 76-year-old man taking theophylline was admitted to our hospital with congestive heart failure and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). After admission, he developed cardiogenic shock as a result of SVT storm, which was refractory to medical treatment including adenosine and electrical cardioversion. The serum theophylline concentration at admission was identified as toxic. Therefore, theophylline toxicity was considered as a major cause of the SVT storm. Hemodynamic stability was achieved by using mechanical circulatory support. Additionally, continuous hemodiafiltration was performed to remove theophylline, and it was effective for suppression of SVT. The patient was successfully weaned off mechanical circulatory support. After the patient's general status had improved, an electrophysiological study was performed, and it showed orthodromic atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia with a right free wall accessory pathway. Radiofrequency catheter ablation was successfully performed. .

Ten-year clinical outcomes after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation: Impact of an in-stent restenosis target lesion.

UNLABELLED: Little is known about the long-term outcomes after first-generation sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation. We aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes up to 10 years after SES implantation. METHODS: The study population comprised 342 patients (504 lesions) who underwent SES implantation between January 2002 and December 2004. The median duration of follow-up was 3816 days (interquartile range [Q1-Q3], 3,705-3,883 days). RESULTS: The cumulative event rate of definite stent thrombosis was 3.9%. The cumulative rate of target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 1, 5, and 10 years was 8.7%, 18.8%, and 31.1%, respectively, and the annual rate of TLR was 3.1%. Clinically driven TLR occurred at relatively constant rate during 10 years (2.0% per year). In a multivariate analysis, higher body mass index, hemodialysis, in-stent restenosis (ISR) target lesion, and total stent length >30 mm were independent risk factors of TLR within 5 years. An independent risk factor of TLR beyond 5 years was ISR target lesion. CONCLUSIONS: Late TLR after SES implantation is a long-term hazard, lasting up to 10 years. The ISR target lesion is a risk factor of TLR during 10 years.

Incidence, predictive factors, and clinical impact of stent recoil in stent fracture lesion after drug-eluting stent implantation.

BACKGROUND: Stent fracture (SF) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation was reported to be associated with target lesion revascularization (TLR). We have noted abnormal late acquired stent axial deformation in lesions after DES implantation, especially in SF lesions, and defined it as stent recoil (SR). We evaluated the incidence, predictive factors, and clinical impact of SR in SF lesions. METHODS: Between 2003 and 2012, 5456 patients (11,712 lesions) underwent DES implantations and follow-up angiography within one year after the index procedure. SR was defined as an axial recoil deformation less than 80% of the stent diameter and SF was defined as the separation of stent segments or stent struts. SF and SR were confirmed by follow-up angiography. The primary endpoint was defined as clinically driven TLR. RESULTS: SF was observed in 494 lesions (4.2%) and SR in 138 of SF lesions (27.9%). According to multinomial logistic regression analyses, severe calcification and ostial lesion in the right coronary artery were stronger predictive factors of SF with SR lesions. The cumulative incidences of any and clinically driven TLR at 5years were both significantly higher in the SF with SR group than in the SF without SR group (51.7% versus 35.0%, P<0.001; 22.2% versus 12.8%, P=0.019; respectively). CONCLUSIONS: SR in SF lesions after DES implantation could be related to the lesion characteristics. SF with SR was highly associated with subsequent TLR compared with SF without SR.

Paclitaxel-coated balloon catheter compared with drug-eluting stent for drug-eluting stent restenosis in routine clinical practice.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy between paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) and drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation for the treatment of DES restenosis in complex situations. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data of patients who received revascularisation for DES restenosis between 2004 and 2011 were collected. A total of 683 patients with 777 lesions were analysed in this study (306 lesions treated by PCB, 471 lesions by DES). The use of PCB or DES was at the discretion of the operator. Angiographic outcomes at six to eight months and clinical outcomes at 12-month follow-up were compared between groups. The primary outcome was binary restenosis. Cox regression analysis with propensity score adjustment suggested that there were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to binary restenosis, target lesion revascularisation (TLR), and major adverse cardiac events. As for the angiographic endpoints, subgroup analysis was performed for several parameters. There was a significant trend favouring PCB with respect to binary restenosis and TLR in non-focal type lesions and bifurcation lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Angiographic and clinical outcomes in the PCB group were similar to those in the repeat DES group. PCB seemed to offer more favourable results in non-focal type lesions and bifurcation lesions.

Stent Fracture After Sirolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation: 8-Year Clinical Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Stent fracture (SF) after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation is reported to be associated with target lesion revascularization (TLR) and stent thrombosis. We aimed to assess the clinical impact of SF at 8 years. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 2002 and 2005, 972 patients (1795 lesions) underwent sirolimus-eluting stent implantation and follow-up angiography within 1 year after index procedure. SF, defined as the complete separation of stent segments or stent struts at follow-up angiography, was observed in 105 lesions (5.8%). The study sample comprised 954 patients (1630 lesions), excluding 147 lesions undergoing TLR and 18 patients (18 lesions) who died or in whom stent thrombosis developed within 1 year after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation. The median follow-up duration was 9.1 years (the first and third quarters, 8.7 and 9.4 years). The primary end point was defined as any TLR. The 8-year cumulative rates of adverse events were estimated by Kaplan-Meier methods with P values from log-rank tests. Between patients with and without SF, there were no significant differences in the cumulative rates of all-cause death (23.5% versus 27.6%, P=0.35) and cardiac death (4.7% versus 9.1%, P=0.14), whereas patients with SF had significantly higher cumulative rates in myocardial infarction (10.1% versus 3.3%, P=0.001), very late stent thrombosis (6.8% versus 0.7%, P<0.001), any TLR (38.1% versus 10.8%, P<0.001), and clinically driven TLR (26.2% versus 6.6%, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SF after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation was consistently associated with higher rates of adverse cardiac events during the 8-year follow-up.

Late Restenosis After Paclitaxel-Coated Balloon Angioplasty Occurs in Patients With Drug-Eluting Stent Restenosis.

BACKGROUND: There are currently inadequate data on whether "late restenosis" occurs after paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) angioplasty for in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesions. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of PCB angioplasty, we investigated serial clinical and angiographic outcomes after PCB angioplasty for ISR lesions. METHODS: Between September 2008 and December 2012, PCB angioplasty was performed in 468 patients with 550 ISR lesions (bare-metal stent restenosis [BMS-ISR]: 114 lesions, drug-eluting stent restenosis [DES-ISR]: 436 lesions). Two serial angiographic follow-ups were routinely planned for the patients (at 6 and 18 months after the procedure). RESULTS: Early follow-up (6 months) angiography was performed for 488 lesions (89%), and recurrent restenosis occurred in 13 lesions (13.0%) in the BMS-ISR group and in 82 lesions (21.1%) in the DES-ISR group. Target lesion revascularization was performed for 7 lesions (7.0%) in the BMS-ISR group and 54 lesions (13.9%) in the DES-ISR group. Late follow-up (18 months) angiography was performed for 377 (88%) of the remaining 427 lesions (excluding target lesion revascularization lesions), and late restenosis was found in 2 lesions (2.5%) in the BMS-ISR group and 50 lesions (16.8%) in the DES-ISR group. Delayed late lumen loss was significantly larger in the DES-ISR group. Previous stent size ≤2.5 mm, percentage diameter stenosis after the procedure, and in-stent occlusion lesion were independent predictors of early restenosis. DES-ISR, percentage diameter stenosis at early follow-up, and hemodialysis were independent predictors of late restenosis. CONCLUSIONS: Late restenosis occurs after PCB angioplasty for DES-ISR lesions.

Association between tissue characteristics assessed with optical coherence tomography and mid-term results after percutaneous coronary intervention for in-stent restenosis lesions: a comparison between balloon angioplasty, paclitaxel-coated balloon dilatation, and drug-eluting stent implantation.

AIMS: Morphological assessment of neointimal tissue using optical coherence tomography (OCT) is important for clarifying the pathophysiology of in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesions. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of OCT findings on recurrence of ISR after various types of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) including plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA), paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) dilatation, and drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between June 2008 and August 2013, we performed PCI for 428 ISR lesions in 379 patients using POBA (78 lesions, POBA group), PCB dilatation (202 lesions, PCB group), and DES implantation (148 lesions, DES group). Morphological assessment of neointimal tissue at the minimum lumen area site to determine restenotic tissue structure (homogeneous, heterogeneous, or layered type) using OCT was performed. We examined the association between tissue structure and midterm results including ISR and target lesion revascularization (TLR) rates. The patients were 308 men and 71 women with a mean age of 68.9 ± 9.4 years. The mean follow-up period was 211 ± 40 days. ISR and TLR rates of lesions with a homogeneous structure were significantly higher in the POBA group than in the PCB group (ISR: 54.8 vs. 19.1%, P < 0.001; TLR: 38.7 vs. 10.6%, P < 0.001) and DES group (ISR: 54.8 vs. 19.6%, P = 0.002; TLR: 38.7 vs. 10.7%, P = 0.005), whereas there were no differences in ISR and TLR rates between the three groups in lesions with a heterogeneous structure. CONCLUSION: Morphological assessment of ISR tissue using OCT might suggest favourable types of PCI for ISR lesions.

Everolimus-eluting stent implantation versus repeat paclitaxel-coated balloon angioplasty for recurrent in-stent restenosis lesion caused by paclitaxel-coated balloon failure.

AIMS: Although paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) angioplasty has been reported to be effective for in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesions, the optimal treatment for recurrent ISR lesions caused by PCB failure remains unclear. This study compared clinical and angiographic outcomes after everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation and repeat PCB angioplasty for PCB failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: From November 2008 to October 2011, we performed PCB angioplasty for 599 ISR lesions, of which 93 recurrent ISR lesions underwent EES implantation (53 lesions, 52 patients) or repeat PCB angioplasty (40 lesions, 37 patients). The choice of treatment strategy was decided at the operatorÕs discretion. Angiographic outcomes were evaluated by follow-up angiography at six to eight months after procedure. The baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. At follow-up angiography (93.5% of all lesions), minimum lumen diameter was significantly larger and the binary restenosis rate was significantly lower after EES implantation than after repeat PCB angioplasty (2.08±0.79 mm vs. 1.45±0.68 mm, p<0.001; 20.0% vs. 54.1%, p=0.001; respectively), whereas late lumen loss was not different between the two groups (0.49±0.62 mm vs. 0.59±0.74 mm, p=0.47). At two years, the incidences of both target lesion revascularisation (TLR) and clinically driven TLR were significantly lower after EES implantation than after repeat PCB angioplasty (17.9% vs. 57.5%, p=0.001; 5.9% vs. 18.1%, p=0.01; respectively). CONCLUSIONS: EES implantation was more effective for PCB failure in preventing subsequent TLR than repeat PCB angioplasty because of better angiographic results.

Clinical and angiographic outcomes after drug-eluting stent implantation with triple-kissing-balloon technique for left main trifurcation lesion: comparison of single-stent and multi-stent procedures.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated clinical and angiographic outcomes after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation with triple-kissing-balloon technique (triple-KBT) for left main (LM) trifurcation lesions and compared them between single-stent and multi-stent procedures. BACKGROUND: The triple-KBT is a challenging strategy to treat LM trifurcation lesions with both single-stent and multi-stent procedures, and its outcomes after DES implantation were unknown. METHODS: We evaluated 72 patients who underwent triple-KBT after DES implantation for LM trifurcation lesions from April 2005 to October 2012, and compared the clinical and angiographic outcomes between 45 patients in the single-stent group and 27 patients in the multi-stent group. Patients with 2 or 3 stents implanted were included in the multi-stent group. RESULTS: Procedural success was obtained in 93.1% of all patients, with no in-hospital death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization (TLR). The median follow-up duration was 838 days. The incidence of all-cause death at 3 years was 8.6%, and there was no significant difference between the single-stent and multi-stent groups (8.0% vs. 9.7%; P=.82). There were no patients with myocardial infarction or stent thrombosis. The incidence of TLR at 3 years was 14.5%, and it was significantly higher in the multi-stent group (31.3%) than in the single-stent group (4.6%; P=.01). No incidence of TLR was observed beyond 1 year in both groups. CONCLUSION: DES implantation with triple-KBT was a safe and feasible technique for LM trifurcation lesion. The favorable clinical outcomes could be achieved by single-stent procedure compared with multi-stent procedure.

Thirty-day outcome of transcatheter aortic valve implantation with the edwards SAPIEN XT prosthesis via the transiliofemoral approach.

BACKGROUND: Few data exist on the results of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) via the transfemoral approach in small slightly built Japanese patients with severe aortic stenosis who are ineligible or at high-risk for conventional surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Therefore, the purpose was to investigate the early outcomes of TAVI using the transiliofemoral approach in Japan. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between June 2010 and June 2013, 21 consecutive patients (mean age, 81.0 years; 81.0% female) underwent TAVI with Edwards SAPIEN XT valves using the transiliofemoral approach. The mean body surface area was 1.44±0.15m(2). The device success rate was 90.5%. Although 2 patients did not meet the echocardiographic criteria for device success, no failure to deliver and deploy a valve occurred. The mean effective aortic valve area increased from 0.54±0.12cm(2) at baseline to 1.46±0.29cm(2) after the procedure (P<0.001), and the mean aortic transvalvular pressure gradient decreased from 51.0±15.6 at baseline to 11.2±3.6 after the procedure (P<0.001). The 30-day mortality and combined safety endpoint rates were 0% and 4.8%, respectively. All patients achieved New York Heart Association functional class I or II at 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: Early outcome of TAVI with the Edwards-SAPIEN XT valve via the transiliofemoral approach at Kurashiki Central Hospital is satisfactory for patients who are ineligible or at high risk for SAVR.

Association between tissue characteristics evaluated with optical coherence tomography and mid-term results after paclitaxel-coated balloon dilatation for in-stent restenosis lesions: a comparison with plain old balloon angioplasty.

AIMS: Morphological assessment of neointimal tissue using optical coherence tomography (OCT) is important for clarifying the pathophysiology of in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesions. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of OCT findings on recurrence of ISR after paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) dilatation compared with plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA). METHODS AND RESULTS: Between July 2008 and May 2012, we performed percutaneous coronary intervention for 214 ISR lesions using POBA + PCB (146 lesions, PCB group) or POBA only (68 lesions, POBA group). Morphological assessment of neointimal tissue using OCT, including assessment of restenotic tissue structure and restenotic tissue backscatter, was performed. We examined the association between lesion morphologies and mid-term (6-8 months) results including ISR and target lesion revascularization (TLR) rates. Both ISR and TLR rates of lesions with a homogeneous structure were significantly lower in the PCB group than those in the POBA group (ISR: 20.0 vs. 55.6%, P = 0.002, TLR: 12.7 vs. 37.0%, P = 0.019), but there was no difference between the two groups in ISR and TLR rates of lesions with a heterogeneous or layered structure. Both ISR and TLR rates of lesions with high backscatter were significantly lower in the PCB group than those in the POBA group (ISR: 19.8 vs. 52.5%, P < 0.001, TLR: 13.6 vs. 42.5%, P = 0.001), but there was no difference between the two groups in ISR and TLR rates of lesions with low backscatter. CONCLUSION: Morphological assessment of ISR tissue using OCT might be useful for identifying ISR lesions favourable for PCB dilatation.

Comparison of long-term outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention for stent thrombosis between early, late, and very late stent thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: Differences in long-term outcome between early stent thrombosis (EST), late stent thrombosis (LST), and very late stent thrombosis (VLST) are unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 152 patients who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention for stent thrombosis between January 2001 and October 2011 were enrolled, and the clinical outcome compared between EST (55 patients), LST (34 patients), and VLST (63 patients) after drug-eluting stent (DES) and bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including cardiac death, recurrent stent thrombosis, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization (TLR), were evaluated at 5 years. The in-hospital mortality was similar between EST, LST, and VLST (P=0.37). The incidence of MACE was significantly lower in VLST (21.9%) than in EST (66.9%, P<0.001) and LST (66.6%, P<0.001), mainly because of a lower TLR rate after VLST (11.1%) than after EST (50.8%, P<0.001) and LST (52.2%, P<0.001). The 5-year mortality rate was also significantly lower in VLST (14.7%) than in EST (29.3%, P=0.049) and LST (41.6%, P=0.025). The incidence of MACE was similar between DES and BMS (46.2% vs. 50.0%, P=0.82), and this finding was observed in EST (P=0.83), LST (P=0.77), and VLST (P=0.57). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with EST and LST, long-term outcome was markedly better in VLST, mainly because of a lower TLR rate, whether after DES or BMS implantation.

Optimal treatment of recurrent restenosis lesions after drug-eluting stent implantation for in-stent restenosis lesions.

AIMS: Although the outcomes of various treatments for in-stent restenosis (ISR) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation have been reported, the optimal treatment of recurrent ISR lesions after DES implantation for ISR lesions was unknown. This study compared the efficacy between DES implantation and balloon angioplasty (BA) for recurrent ISR lesions after DES implantation. METHODS AND RESULTS: From 2003 to 2010, DES were implanted in 1,101 ISR lesions, of which 148 recurrent ISR lesions (142 patients) were treated with BA (76 lesions, 72 patients) and DES implantation (72 lesions, 70 patients). Clinical outcomes were evaluated for major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including a composite of death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularisation (TLR). Angiographic outcomes were evaluated by follow-up angiography at six to eight months after procedure. At angiographic follow-up (94.4% of all patients), the binary restenosis rate was significantly lower in DES implantation (25.0%) than in BA (64.4%, p<0.001), whereas late lumen loss was similar between DES implantation and BA (0.80±0.78 mm vs. 0.87±0.79 mm, p=0.60). The incidence of four-year MACE was significantly higher in BA (75.2%) than in DES implantation (45.8%, p<0.001), mainly because of the lower TLR rate in DES implantation (60.5% vs. 27.6%, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that BA is an independent predictor of TLR, followed by non-focal lesion, non-intravascular ultrasound guidance, and dyslipidaemia. CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of recurrent ISR lesions, DES implantation is markedly more effective with a lower incidence of TLR compared to BA.

Seven-year clinical outcomes of unprotected left main coronary artery stenting with drug-eluting stent and bare-metal stent.

BACKGROUND: The superiority of drug-eluting stents (DES) over bare-metal stents (BMS) 7 years after unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenting has not been investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: From 2003 to 2005, 182 patients underwent stent implantation for unprotected LMCA disease (DES, 96 patients; BMS, 86 patients; acute coronary syndrome cases excluded), and the 7-year clinical outcomes between the DES and BMS groups were compared. The incidence of cardiac death or non-fatal myocardial infarction was similar between the DES and BMS groups (11.0% vs. 13.5%, P=0.78). The incidence of target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 7 years was significantly lower in the DES group than in the BMS group (26.4% vs. 40.5%, P=0.009); the incidence from 1 to 4 years and that beyond 4 years were similar between the DES and BMS groups (8.9% vs. 7.9%, P=0.97; 10.0% vs. 8.7%, P=0.74, respectively). Among patients with bifurcation lesions, whereas the incidence of 7-year TLR was significantly lower in the DES group than the BMS group in patients undergoing single-stent procedures (15.9% vs. 48.6%, P=0.002), it was similar between the 2 groups in patients undergoing 2-stent procedures (38.5% vs. 39.3%, P=0.49). CONCLUSIONS: With the exception of the 2-stent procedure, the 7-year outcomes after DES implantation for LMCA disease were superior to those after BMS implantation because of the lower TLR rate, when considering TLR during the late phase.

Difference in clinical and angiographic characteristics of very late stent thrombosis between drug-eluting and bare-metal stent implantations.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available with which to compare the clinical characteristics of patients with very late stent thrombosis (VLST) after drug-eluting stent (DES) or bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in the characteristics of VLST after DES and BMS implantation by reviewing the clinical and angiographic data. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 28 patients (30 lesions) with VLST after DES implantation and 33 patients (33 lesions) with VLST after BMS implantation were identified. The occurrence of VLST after BMS implantation (2,647±996 days) was much later than that after DES implantation (1,194±558 days, P<0.001). The number of VLST after DES implantation increased gradually each year; however VLST after BMS implantation started to occur >50 months later, and its number increased subsequently. The prevalence of VLST related to surgical procedures involving discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy in VLST patients was higher after DES implantation (14.3%) than after BMS implantation (0%, P=0.039). Angiographic stent fracture was seen in 36.7% of VLST lesions after DES implantation at different times (464-2,102 days after procedure), while none was seen in VLST lesions after BMS implantation (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The timing of VLST was different after DES and BMS implantation. Stent fracture was a specific finding of VLST after DES implantation.

Optical coherence tomography findings in lesions after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation with peri-stent contrast staining.

BACKGROUND: We have sometimes noted abnormal angiographic coronary dilatation, <50% of the reference vessel, at the site of sirolimus-eluting stent implantation, suggesting contrast staining outside the stent struts and named this finding peri-stent contrast staining (PSS). Little was known about optical coherence tomography findings of lesions with PSS. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between May 2008 and March 2010, we performed optical coherence tomography for 90 in-stent restenosis lesions after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation. We found PSS in 20 of the 90 lesions by coronary angiography. The differences in optical coherence tomography findings, including incomplete stent apposition, multiple interstrut hollows (MIH), strut coverage, and thrombus, were compared between lesions with PSS and those without PSS. PSS is defined as contrast staining outside the stent contour extending to >20% of the stent diameter measured by quantitative coronary angiography. MIH is defined as multiple hollows (the maximum depth >0.5 mm) existing between and outside well-apposed stent struts. Both incomplete stent apposition (60.0% versus 10%; P<0.001) and MIH (85.0% versus 25.7%; P<0.001) were frequently observed in lesions with PSS than in lesions without PSS. Among the 20 lesions with PSS, there was only 1 lesion in which we found neither MIH nor incomplete stent apposition, but only minor dissection. Uncovered struts (11.6% versus 3.9%; P=0.001), malapposed struts (2.0% versus 0.0%; P<0.001), and red thrombus (35% versus 10%; P=0.012) were frequently observed in lesions with PSS than in lesions without PSS. CONCLUSIONS: PSS might be closely associated with 2 different optical coherence tomography findings, MIH and incomplete stent apposition, in lesions after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation.

Serial clinical and angiographic follow-up after phosphorylcholine-coated stent implantation.

The efficacy of drug-eluting stents (DES) has been proven, but concerns about late complications after DES have been raised. Polymers that do not increase inflammatory or hypersensitivity reactions which may contribute to late complications are needed for new generation DES. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of phosphorylcholine-polymer coating, we investigated serial clinical and angiographic outcomes after phosphorylcholine-coated stent placement. Seventy-five consecutive patients treated with a BiodivYsio phosphorylcholine-coated stent for de novo lesions at our institute between October 2001 and August 2002 were enrolled. Six-month follow-up angiography was performed in 71 lesions (94.7%), and angiographic restenosis was found in 19 lesions (26.8%). Target lesion revascularization (TLR) was performed in 10 lesions (14.1%). Eighteen-month follow-up angiography was performed in 58 (95.1%) of the remaining 61 lesions (excluding TLR lesions), and angiographic restenosis was found in only 3 lesions. The cumulative MACE-free survival rate was 86.3%, 83.6%, and 78.6% at 6-month, 18-month, and 8-year follow-up, respectively. There were no episodes of stent thrombosis. Late loss decreased significantly from 0.74 ± 0.40 mm (6-months) to 0.51 ± 0.46 mm (18-months) (P < 0.0001). Phosphorylcholine-coated stent implantation was associated with acceptable clinical and angiographic results. Phosphorylcholine-coating may be an ideal polymer for new generation DESs.