Natural history of coronary stents: 14 year follow-up of drug eluting stents versus bare metal stents.

BACKGROUND: Several randomized trials have shown the effectiveness of drug-eluting stents (DES) over bare metal stents (BMS) in terms of repeat revascularization at 1 year; however long term data in this context is conflicting. AIM: To assess the long term clinical outcomes after coronary artery stenting with drug-eluting stents and bare metal stents. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study, including 100 consecutive patients with Coronary Artery Disease who underwent successful percutaneous intervention (PCI) with implantation of DES and contemporary 100 patients who underwent PCI with implantation of BMS in the years 2005 and 2006 at our center. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 14 years, the primary composite outcome of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) was found to be similar in both the groups [DES-37; BMS-36 (p value = 0.88)]. At 1 year of follow-up, the incidence of MACCE was significantly lower with DES group than BMS group [DES-3; BMS-10, P value = 0.04]; but the benefit was not seen at 5 years, 10 years and 14 years follow-up. The incidence of very late stent thrombosis in our study population was similar in either of the groups (p value = 0.13). Obesity and creatinine of >1.4 mg/dl were found to be the predictors of all-cause death. CONCLUSION: In patients with coronary artery disease, the composite endpoint of MACCE for the first year after stenting was significantly lower in patients receiving DES than those receiving BMS; however, at very long term follow-up, the event rates were similar.

Pancycle aortic incompetence and double alternans in pediatric heart failure.

A 12-year-old boy presented with bicuspid aortic valve, severe aortic regurgitation, and dilated dysfunctional left ventricle in heart failure. He underwent aortic valve replacement with a 23 mm TTK Chitra heart valve prosthesis (tilting disk). He was gradually weaned off milrinone and noradrenaline in the intensive care. Echocardiography showed severe left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 24%. The radial pulse was regular and of normal volume but exactly half that of the heart rate. Evaluation of the rhythm and echocardiography revealed an interesting hemodynamic phenomenon with double alternans.

Ectopic atrial rhythm after superior septal approach to the mitral valve - an often under-reported entity.

Purpose: Very few reports elaborate on the changes in P wave following superior septal approach to the mitral valve. We aimed to describe the changes in the P wave axis and other electrocardiographic changes following this approach among patients preoperatively in sinus rhythm. Methods: We did a retrospective review of medical records among all our patients undergoing superior septal approach for mitral valve surgery from September 2014 to September 2019. Electrocardiograms during hospital stay and until 6-month follow-up were analyzed. A deviation in P wave axis from the normal range of + 30 to + 60° was classified as ectopic atrial rhythm. Results: In the study population of 47 patients (age 16-75 years, 51.3 ± 13.6 years; M:F ratio 3.7:1), who were in normal sinus rhythm preoperatively, 34 patients (72.3%) had a visible P wave on electrocardiogram (ECG) at discharge. Among them, the P wave axes of 17 patients (36.2%) were within normal range (normal sinus rhythm), whereas 17 patients (36.2%) had ectopic atrial rhythm at discharge. The most frequent abnormal P wave axis was between 0 and - 30° (12 patients). At 6 months, 8 patients (17.0%) had a persistent ectopic atrial rhythm. These patients underwent a Holter test at 6 months and were followed up for symptomatic bradycardia for 3 years. None of the patients with ectopic atrial rhythm required pacemaker insertion. Conclusion: Persistence of ectopic atrial rhythm at 6 months is common (17%) after superior septal approach. Documentation of P wave axis after this approach will help avoid missing it. These patients may be kept on follow-up to look for symptomatic bradycardia.

Three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping guided right bundle branch pacing in congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries.

AIMS: The ideal pacing strategy has been the Achilles' heel for patients with congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries (ccTGA) with bradycardia. Various pacing modalities were documented in the literature. This article describes a novel pacing strategy and its feasibility in ccTGA with an intact ventricular septum. METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively recruited three patients with ccTGA who presented with symptomatic complete heart block to our institute and were evaluated. All patients were planned for conduction system pacing. Those who had more than moderate or severe systemic atrioventricular regurgitation and systemic ventricular dysfunction were planned for conduction system pacing with an additional lead in the coronary sinus (CS) tributary, i.e. bundle branch pacing optimized cardiac resynchronization therapy with the intention to achieve incremental benefit. Since right bundle pacing is not described previously and in view of anatomical complexity in location, three-dimensional (3D) anatomical mapping was done with the EnSite system and later right bundle capture is identified conventionally as that of a left bundle in a normal heart. All three patients have stable lead positions and adequate thresholds at short-term follow-up. CONCLUSION: In this report, we demonstrated the feasibility of permanent physiological pacing of the systemic ventricle by capturing the right bundle with 3D anatomical mapping guidance, which results in physiological activation of the systemic ventricle.

Programmed ventricular stimulation in structural heart disease: Implications of patterns of ventricular arrhythmias induced to long-term outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Currently available data gives some credence to utility of VT induction studies in patients with stable ischemic cardiomyopathy, there are some unresolved questions as to define sensitive threshold for low-risk and the prognostic relevance of ill sustained or non-specific tachycardia on induction study. We evaluated potential ability of VT inducibility to predict likelihood of SHD (Structural heart disease) patients for subsequent arrhythmic or adverse cardiac events. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All consecutive patients with syncope/documented arrhythmia who had VT induction done were included and patients with VT storm, ACS,uncontrolled HF were excluded. We studied in 4 groups-monomorphic VT, sustained polymorphicVT, ill sustainedVT/VF and no VT/VF induced. The primary-endpoints were - Sudden death, all-cause mortality and secondary-endpoints were - MACE (AICD shock, death,HF, recurrence of VT). We screened 411 patients and included 169 within inducible (n = 79) and non-inducible group (n = 90). RESULTS: There were a higher number of patients with coronary artery disease, LV dysfunction, patients on amiodarone in inducible group and no difference in usage of beta-blockers. Recurrence of VT, composite of MACE was significantly higher in inducible group (p < 0.05). Mortality was not different in 3 groups compared with no VT/VF group. We found that monomorphic VT group had significantly higher MACE as compared to others and also predicted recurrence of VT and AICD shock and showed a trend towards significance for prediction of mortality. Inducible patients on AICD had mortality similar to non-inducible group. CONCLUSION: Induction of monomorphicVT/polymorphicVT with ≤3extrastimuli is associated with a higher number of MACE events on follow up. Induction of monomorphicVT predicts recurrence of VT/ICD shock.

Interesting phenomenon during positioning of the 3830 lead deep inside the septum by rapid rotations. What is the mechanism?

A 66-year-old lady having complete AV block with narrow QRS escape had undergone left bundle branch pacing (LBB) with 4.1-F diameter 3830 Select SecureTM pacing lead (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA). The pacing lead was placed with the inter-ventricular septum, 2 cm inferior to the distal His region towards the right ventricular apex, by 5 rapid turns. During the rapid turns, an interesting phenomenon was noted [Fig. 1A & B]. What is the mechanism?

Two pacing spikes on the T wave in a single-chamber pacemaker: What is the mechanism?

We report a case of a 54-year-old female, known symptomatic sick sinus syndrome, who had undergone a single-chamber pacemaker (VVI, St. Jude Medical, VERITY ADxXL SC SN 2413520) implantation in 2011. Electrocardiography (ECG) performed on a recent visit to the pacemaker clinic showed intermittent double pacing spikes on top of the T wave (Fig. 1A). What is the mechanism?

"All that glitters is not gold".

A 63-year-old gentleman presented to the emergency room (ER) with complaints of sudden onset of palpitation for the last 1 hour. He denied any presyncope or syncope. He was tachycardic with pulse rate of 120 beats per minute. His blood pressure was 110/70 mm Hg. A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was taken. What is the likely diagnosis?

Management of a complicated 'pacemaker pocket' site infection.

Pocket site infection after implantation of a pacemaker is a dreaded complication which requires removing the device and reimplanting it at a contralateral site. Difficulties arise when the patient is dependent on pacing and when there are issues with venous access at the contralateral site. We report a patient with pacemaker pocket site infection with congenital complete heart block managed with explantation of the device, semi-permanent pacing during antibiotic treatment, reimplantation of the device at the contralateral site and management of subtotal subclavian vein stenosis noted during reimplantation.

Narrow QRS Tachycardia: What Is the Mechanism?

A 45-year-old man was referred for radiofrequency catheter ablation of narrow QRS tachycardia that terminated with intravenous adenosine. A 12-lead electrocardiogram showed no baseline pre-excitation. The echocardiogram was essentially normal. The electrophysiological study showed a normal atrial-His interval of 110 ms and a His-ventricular interval of 44 ms during sinus rhythm. An anterograde study demonstrated no dual atrioventricular nodal physiology. Atrial pacing protocols easily and reproducibly induced a narrow QRS tachycardia. What is the mechanism of the tachycardia?

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in right ventricular outflow tract arrhythmia: a retrospective analysis from a tertiary care centre in South India.

INTRODUCTION: Arrhythmia arising from right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) is the most common cause of idiopathic ventricular arrhythmia. Previous studies involving cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in these patients are known to show abnormalities in up to 60% of patients. METHODOLOGY: This was a retrospective descriptive analysis of patients having idiopathic RVOT arrhythmia who underwent cardiac MRI between January 2010 and December 2020. Clinical and demographic details were recorded from the electronic medical records and cardiac MRI of all patients were reviewed. RESULTS: Among 214 patients with RVOT arrhythmia, 64 underwent cardiac MRI. A total of 41 patients, who did not have any abnormality on baseline echocardiogram were included in the study. There was male preponderance (56.1%), with median age of 43 years. About 43.9% had syncope. Twenty-four-hour Holter study revealed a premature ventricular complex (PVC) burden of 26.3 ± 11.7%. MRI showed structural abnormalities in 51.2% of patients, which commonly included RV sacculations and aneurysms. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was seen in six patients, which was mostly seen in RV free wall. Right ventricular (RV) systolic dysfunction was evident in 29.3%. About 9.8% fulfilled the criteria for arrhythmogenic RV cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Out of 23 patients with baseline abnormalities on ECHO, 87% had structural abnormalities on MRI, and 43.5% fulfilled the criteria for ARVC. CONCLUSIONS: Additional imaging by cardiac MRI helps to identify structural abnormalities in 51.2% of patients with RVOT arrhythmias, even with normal baseline echocardiogram and electrocardiogram (ECG). It is useful tool to rule out ARVC in this subset of patients, and can help in increasing the diagnostic yield in the early stages.

Interesting Response with the Delivery of Right Ventricular Extrastimulus of Increasing Prematurity.

A 45-year-old man with no structural heart disease underwent an electrophysiology study for recurrent episodes of palpitation. There was no evidence of pre-excitation on the baseline electrocardiogram. Baseline intervals, including the A-H and H-V intervals, were within the normal limits and remained so during the electrophysiology study. An interesting response was observed with the delivery of ventricular extrastimuli with increasing prematurity from the right ventricular apex, triggering consideration of the possible mechanism.

Discordant responses to his refractory premature ventricular beats (PVBs) during a regular narrow QRS tachycardia. What is the mechanism.

A 32-year-old lady was evaluated for recurrent episodes of palpitation. During one of the palpitation episodes a regular narrow QRS tachycardia was documented, and it got terminated with the administration of IV adenosine. The baseline 12 lead electrocardiogram (ECG) did not show any manifest preexcitation. There was no evidence of structural heart disease by echocardiogram. Patient underwent an electrophysiology (EP) study after informed consent. Quadripolar catheters were placed at the His region and right ventricular (RV) apex. A decapolar catheter was placed in the coronary sinus (CS) with CS 9, 10 dipoles at CS OS region and CS 1, 2 dipoles at CS distal region. A mapping & ablation catheter was positioned at right atrial (RA) appendage. Baseline atrial and ventricular pacing protocols could not be performed as both atrial and ventricular pacing were easily inducing a regular narrow QRS tachycardia. His refractory premature ventricular beats [PVBs] were delivered from RVRV apex and left ventricular [LV] free wall. Discordant responses were obtained. What is the mechanism?

Regular narrow QRS tachycardia. What is the mechanism?

A 45-years-old lady with no structural heart disease on echocardiogram presented with recurrent episodes of palpitation. There was no baseline preexcitation. Twelve lead surface electrocardiograms (ECG) recorded during one of the episodes are provided. What is the likely mechanism of the tachycardia? [Figure: see text].