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Unintended deformation of implanted coronary stents can lead to loss of coronary access, stent thrombosis and coronary events during follow-up. The incidence, mechanisms and clinical outcomes of unintended stent deformations (USD) during complex bifurcation stenting are not well characterized. In a prespecified analysis of the OCTOBER (European Trial on Optical Coherence Tomography Optimized Bifurcation Event Reduction) trial, we aimed to: 1) determine the incidence and characterize mechanisms of USD identified by optical coherence tomography (OCT); and 2) evaluate physician's detection and correction of accidental abluminal rewiring and USD. OCT scans were analyzed for accidental abluminal rewiring and USD. When USD was identified, the plausible mechanism was determined by analysis of all procedural OCT scans and the corresponding angiograms. USD was identified by the core lab in 9.3% (55/589) of OCT-guided cases. Accidental abluminal rewiring was the cause in 44% (24/55), and guide catheter collision was the cause in 40% (22/55) of cases. USD was found in 18.5% of all cases with left main bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention. The total incidence of abluminal rewiring was 33 in 32 OCT-guided cases (5.4%) and was corrected by physicians in 18 of 33 appearances (54.5%). The 2-year major adverse cardiac event rate for patients with untreated USD (n = 30) was 23.3%, whereas patients with confirmed or possibly corrected USD (n = 25) had no events during follow-up. USD was associated with adverse procedural complications and cardiac events during follow-up when not identified and corrected. The predominant mechanisms were undetected abluminal rewiring and guide catheter collision. Left main bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention was a particular risk with USD detected in 18.5% of cases. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the choice of treatment for severe aortic valve stenosis in the era of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in Eastern Denmark. Background Until the early 21st century, the only therapeutic option for aortic valve stenosis was surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), but this has changed with the introduction of TAVR. Methods Using the East Denmark Heart Registry, the evolution of AVR over time was studied for the period 2005 to 2015. Results TAVR has since its introduction in 2007 seen steady growth, with currently more than 35% of AVR procedures—and 45% of isolated AVR procedures—being performed by transcatheter-based technology. The number of SAVR procedures remained rather stable over the study period and even saw a slight decline since 2012—there was a marked decrease in the age at which surgical bioprostheses are considered appropriate. The age profile of TAVR patients remained unchanged over the study period, with a recent trend toward more low- and intermediate-risk patients. Currently, patients age ≥80 years and/or with a Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) surgical risk score >6 are automatically referred for TAVR, and one-half of patients age 70 to 80 years with an STS risk score of 4 to 6 are treated with TAVR. Conclusions The number of TAVR procedures has increased steadily in recent years, with a TAVR penetration rate of 35% in 2015 and close to 45% when considering isolated AVR. The number of SAVR procedures remained stable over the study period, and surgical bioprostheses are currently used at a much younger age than in 2005. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A classical strain pattern of early contraction in one wall and prestretching of the opposing wall followed by late contraction has previously been associated with left bundle branch block (LBBB) activation and short-term response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Aims of this study were to establish the long-term predictive value of an LBBB-related strain pattern and to identify changes in contraction patterns during short-term and long-term CRT. Methods and Results: Sixty-seven patients with standard CRT criteria were prospectively enrolled between early 2009 and late 2010. Echocardiography including regional strain analysis by 2-dimensional speckle tracking was performed 1 week before implantation, at day 1, and 6 months after. Response was defined as a decrease in left ventricular end-systolic volume ≥15%. The predictive ability of a classical pattern was compared with time-to-peak measurements from velocity and deformation analysis. Forty-three patients (65%) were classified as responders. The presence of a classical pattern showed 91% specificity and 95% sensitivity for response and performed significantly better than time-to-peak parameters in prediction of response to CRT (P < .001, all). In responders, CRT acutely increased septal longitudinal peak systolic strain (−8.7% ± 3.6% to −11.1% ± 3%, P < .001) but not in nonresponders. Conclusions: The classical pattern is highly predictive of response to CRT and superior to time-to-peak methods. Patients who obtain long-term reverse remodeling are characterized by short-term reversal of the classical strain pattern. These findings emphasize the value of recognizing potentially reversible strain patterns in selection of CRT candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Heart failure is a major public health problem. To improve its grave prognosis, early identification of cardiac dysfunction is mandatory. Conventional echocardiography is not suitable for this. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), however, could be so. Methods and Results: Within a large community-based population-study (n = 1012), cardiac function was evaluated by conventional echocardiography (left ventricular hypertrophy, dilatation, systolic, and severe diastolic dysfunction), TDI, and plasma proBNP. Averages of peak systolic (s′), early diastolic (e′), and late diastolic (a′) velocities from 6 mitral annular sites were used. TDI was furthermore quantified by a combined index (eas-index) of diastolic and systolic performance: e′/(a′ × s′). Compared with controls, persons with elevated plasma proBNP concentrations (n = 100) displayed lower systolic and diastolic performance by TDI, in terms of lower s′ (P = 0.017) and a′ (P < .001), and higher e′/a′ (P = .002) and eas-index (P < .001). This pattern remained significant after multivariable adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, heart rate, estimated glomerular filtration rate, hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and conventional echocardiography. Furthermore, TDI provided incremental information over conventional echocardiography in predicting elevated plasma proBNP concentrations. Conclusions: Preclinical systolic and diastolic dysfunction by TDI is associated with elevated plasma proBNP levels, even when conventional echocardiography is normal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]