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Background and Aims: There is significant potential to streamline the clinical pathway for patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of implementing BENCHMARK best practices on the efficiency and safety of TAVI in 28 sites in 7 European countries., Methods: This was a study of patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing TAVI with balloon-expandable valves before and after implementation of BENCHMARK best practices. Principal objectives were to reduce hospital length of stay (LoS) and duration of intensive care stay. Secondary objective was to document patient safety., Results: Between January 2020 and March 2023, 897 patients were documented prior to and 1491 patients after the implementation of BENCHMARK practices. Patient characteristics were consistent with a known older TAVI population and only minor differences. Mean LoS was reduced from 7.7 ± 7.0 to 5.8 ± 5.6 days (median 6 vs. 4 days; P < .001). Duration of intensive care was reduced from 1.8 to 1.3 days (median 1.1 vs. 0.9 days; P < .001). Adoption of peri-procedure best practices led to increased use of local anaesthesia (96.1% vs. 84.3%; P < .001) and decreased procedure (median 47 vs. 60 min; P < .001) and intervention times (85 vs. 95 min; P < .001). Thirty-day patient safety did not appear to be compromised with no differences in all-cause mortality (0.6% in both groups combined), stroke/transient ischaemic attack (1.4%), life-threatening bleeding (1.3%), stage 2/3 acute kidney injury (0.7%), and valve-related readmission (1.2%)., Conclusions: Broad implementation of BENCHMARK practices contributes to improving efficiency of TAVI pathway reducing LoS and costs without compromising patient safety., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background and Aims: The length of stay (LOS) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains extremely variable whereas early discharge has been shown to be feasible and safe. The study objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intervention aimed at reducing LOS after transfemoral TAVI., Methods: FAST-TAVI II is a prospective, multicentre, cluster, randomized, controlled study including patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, who had transfemoral TAVI. The intervention consisted in a dedicated training programme to implement 10 quality of care measures to reduce LOS with an implementation phase of eight weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients discharged early within 3 days. Secondary endpoints included: LOS, 30-day mortality and 30-day incidence of readmission for cardiovascular events., Results: During the study period, 969 patients were enrolled in the intervention group and 860 patients in the control group. Mean age was 81.9 ± 6.6 years and mean EuroSCORE II was 4.4 ± 4.5%. Early discharge was achieved in 563 (58.1%) patients in the intervention group vs. 364 (42.3%) patients in the control group (P < .0001). Median LOS was significantly reduced in the intervention group compared to the control group [3 (IQR: 3) vs. 4 days (IQR: 3), P < .0001]. Thirty-day mortality was low and similar in the two groups (0.5% vs. 0.9%, P = .30), as were 30-day readmissions (4.6% vs. 2.8%, P = .28)., Conclusions: The intervention was simple and fast to implement, and was effective and safe to reduce LOS and increase the proportion of patients discharged early after TAVI (NCT04503655)., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Aims: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) as an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) has profoundly changed the management of patients with aortic valve stenosis (AS). Large unbiased nationwide data regarding TAVR implementation, impact on SAVR and their respective outcomes are scarce., Methods and Results: Based on a French administrative hospital-discharge database, we collected data on all consecutive aortic valve replacements (AVRs) performed in France for AS between 2007 and 2019 [106 253 isolated SAVR (49%), 46 514 combined SAVR (21%), and 65 651 TAVR (30%)]. The number of AVR linearly increased between 2007 and 2019 (from 10 892 to 23 109, P for trend < 0.0001) due to a marked increase in TAVR (from 253 to 13 030, P for trend < 0.0001), while SAVR increased up to 2013 and then declined (10 892 in 2007, 12 699 in 2013, and 10 079 in 2019). The Charlson index decreased linearly for TAVR, but in two steps for SAVR (2011 and 2017). In-hospital mortality rates of both SAVR and TAVR declined (both P for trend < 0.0001) and were similar or lower for TAVR than for isolated SAVR in patients 75 years or above in the last 3 years (2017-19). Complication rates of TAVR also declined but permanent pacemaker rates remained high and length of stay substantial (16.7% and median 6 days, respectively, in 2017-19)., Conclusion: The number of AVR has doubled in a decade and TAVR has become the dominant form of AVR in 2018. The improvement in patient profiles seems to have anticipated the demonstrated benefit of TAVR in intermediate and low-risk patients. In patients 75 years or older, TAVR should be considered as the first option. We also highlight two important areas for improvement, the high permanent pacemaker rates, and the long length of stay even in the contemporary era. Our results may have major implications for clinical practice and policymakers., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2021. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Aim: The historical evolution of incidence and outcome of cardiogenic shock (CS) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients is debated. This study compared outcomes in AMI patients from 1995 to 2005, according to the presence of CS., Method and Results: Three nationwide French registries were conducted 5 years apart, using a similar methodology in consecutive patients admitted over a 1-month period. All 7531 AMI patients presenting ≤48 h of symptom onset were included. The evolution of mortality was compared in the 486 patients with CS vs. those without CS. The incidence of CS tended to decrease over time (6.9% in 1995; 5.7% in 2005, P = 0.07). Thirty-day mortality was considerably higher in CS patients (60.9 vs. 5.2%). Over the 10-year period, mortality decreased for both patients with (70-51%, P = 0.003) and without CS (9-4%, P < 0.001). In CS patients, the use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) increased from 20 to 50% (P < 0.001). Time period was an independent predictor of early mortality in CS patients (OR for death, 2005 vs. 1995 = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.27-0.75, P = 0.005), along with age, diabetes, and smoking status. When added to the multivariate model, PCI was associated with decreased mortality (OR = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.24-0.58, P < 0.001). In propensity-score-matched cohorts, CS patients with PCI had a significantly higher survival., Conclusions: Cardiogenic shock remains a clinical concern, although early mortality has decreased. Improved survival is concomitant with a broader use of PCI and recommended medications at the acute stage. Beyond the acute stage, however, 1-year survival has remained unchanged.

Aims: To review existing evidence on the role of pre-hospital fibrinolysis in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MI)., Methods and Results: Overview of current guidelines and data from trials and registries on the best perfusion approach for acute MI with ST-elevation. Despite advances in the treatment of ST-elevation MI, the mortality rate before any therapy is administered is high, with half of all fatalities occurring within 2 h of symptom onset. Current treatment options, including the timely use of pre-hospital fibrinolysis, have reduced the overall 1 month mortality. Mortality can be further improved when patient characteristics, risk factors and time delays to treatment are considered., Conclusion: Time factors are essential in the success of fibrinolysis, and subsequent coronary intervention seems beneficial.

Aims: In-stent restenosis is related to neointimal hyperplasia. Heating reduces neointimal hyperplasia but promotes constrictive remodeling after balloon angioplasty. We aimed to assess the ability of local heating in inhibiting restenosis and in-stent neointimal hyperplasia and its potential side effects on arterial thrombosis., Methods and Results: Atherosclerotic-like lesions were induced in iliac rabbit arteries. One month later, both iliac rabbit arteries were stented. In each animal, one artery was randomized to local heating at four temperatures (50, 60, 80, and 100 degrees C). The contra lateral artery was used as control. Angiographic and histomorphometric analysis were performed 42 days after angioplasty. Immunohistochemistry was performed 3, 15, and 42 days after angioplasty. Angiographic significant reduction of in-stent restenosis after moderate heating (50 degrees C) was related to in-stent neointimal hyperplasia trend to be lower after moderate local heating when compared with controls. In contrast, in-stent thrombosis was similar to controls. Higher temperatures (i.e. 80 and 100 degrees C) also reduced in-stent neointimal hyperplasia but were most frequently associated with severe in-stent thrombosis. Local heating was associated with decreased cell proliferation, collagen density, and increased smooth muscle cell apoptosis and heat shock protein expression., Conclusion: Moderate heating represents a promising approach to prevent in-stent restenosis via the limitation of the proliferative response without thrombosis induction.

Aims: To evaluate the feasibility and the incidence of complete heart block (CHB) after non-surgical septal myocardial reduction by coil embolization in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM)., Methods and Results: Twenty patients with HOCM and drug-refractory symptoms underwent non-surgical myocardial septal reduction by coil embolization with detachable coils. Occlusion of septal perforator branches was successfully performed in all patients. We detected neither ventricular tachycardia nor CHB. One patient presented an interventricular septal defect after the procedure, and died 19 days later. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed, in all patients, an increase in areas of hyperenhancement in the interventricular septum (IVS) compared with baseline. At 6-month follow-up, NYHA functional class and peak oxygen consumption were significantly improved compared with baseline (14.8 +/- 4.5 vs. 18.5 +/- 4.5 mL/kg/min; P = 0.001, respectively). Echocardiography showed a significant reduction of the IVS thickness and left ventricular outflow tract gradient (21 +/- 3 vs. 17 +/- 4 mm, P < 0.0001; 80 +/- 29 to 35 +/- 29 mmHg, P < 0.0001, respectively)., Conclusion: The results of this pilot non-randomized study suggest that non-surgical septal myocardial reduction by coil embolization in HOCM is feasible and does not induce CHB. Larger studies, ideally with a randomized comparison between coil embolization and alcohol septal ablation, are warranted.