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In the cardiology community, the use of transradial access for percutaneous coronary procedures is progressively increasing all around the world overtaking the use of transfemoral access. The advantages of the transradial access are based on a significant reduction in bleeding and vascular events compared to the femoral access and on a reduction in mortality in the setting of acute coronary syndromes. However, in recent years a slight but significant increase in radiation exposure for patients and operators associated with the radial approach has been detected, increasing concerns about possible long term increased stochastic risk. In particular interventional cardiologists are among physicians performing interventional procedures using X-rays, those exposed to the highest radiation dose during their activity and this exposure is not without possible long-term clinical consequences in term of deterministic and stochastic effects. All the operators should be aware of these risks and manage to reduce their radiation exposure. In this review we analysed the differences in term of radiation exposure comparing the radial and the femoral access for percutaneous coronary procedures. Then, we discussed the possible clinical consequences of these differences and finally we showed the available tools aimed to reduce the operator radiation exposure. In particular the use of adjunctive protective drapes placed on the patient might reduce operator radiation exposure in up to 81% of the dose.

Background Limited data exist on long-term safety and effectiveness of drug-eluting stents (DESs) in true chronic total coronary occlusion (CTO) settings. We evaluated 5-year clinical outcomes of patients with CTO treated successfully with DES vs bare-metal stent (BMS). Methods We compared the 5-year clinical outcomes of 156 patients treated with DES implantation with outcomes of a historical cohort of 159 patients treated with BMS. Primary end point was freedom from major adverse cardiac events (MACEs; defined as death, myocardial infarction [MI], and target lesion revascularization [TLR]); secondary end points were freedom from target vessel failure (TVF; combination of target vessel revascularization, MI, and cardiac death) and TLR at 5 years. Results After 5 years, the DES group had significantly superior event-free survival from MACE (84% vs 69%; log rank P P = 0.002), and TLR (77% vs 92%; P = 0.0001), compared with the BMS group. The Cox proportional hazards model identified BMS vs DES (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 3.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.85-6.17; P = 0.001), final minimal lumen diameter (HR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.14-0.52; P = 0.0001), and stent length (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.03; P = 0.03) as independent predictors of MACE at 5-year follow-up. Twelve (7%) and 7 (4%) stent thromboses occurred in the DES and BMS groups ( P = 0.23), respectively. Conclusions After 5 years, DESs were superior to BMSs in reducing MACE, TVF, and TLR in patients with CTO and should be the preferred strategy.

Objectives To assess the endothelial dysfunction (ED) after bare metal stents (BMS) and sirolimus eluting stents (SES) implantation in the same patient, overcoming the confounding role of individual variables. Background SES reduce restenosis rate compared to BMS but causes more ED. ED is a potentially unsafe phenomenon, since it is the first step in the cascade of atherosclerosis. Studies showing more pronounced ED with drug eluting stents than BMS involved different series of patients, making the comparison difficult because endothelial function (EF) is responsive to many risk factors. Methods we designed a prospective comparison of 6 months post-deployment EF of SES versus BMS implanted in the same patient, but in different coronary segments. Forty-eight lesions were randomly assigned on a 1:1 allocation using block sizing of 4 according to a computer-generated sequence (SAS System, Version 9.1) basis to treatment with SES or BMS. The EF was evaluated by measuring vessel diameter variation in the stented segment, before and after selective intracoronary infusion of acetylcholine (iiAch). Results In eligible patients, the relative magnitudes of major vasoconstriction were 2.6, 2.9, 4.6, and 3.1 at 5 mm proximal and 5, 10 and 20 mm distal to the stent edge. Overall, a 3.5-fold major distal vasoconstriction after iiAch of SES vs. BMS was calculated. Conclusions in the same patients, but treating different coronary segments, SES implantation induces a higher rate of vasoconstriction compared to BMS. The increased vasoconstriction after iiAch is an indicator of ED.© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The influence of age on the clinical results after rescue angioplasty (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI]) has been poorly investigated. In the present study, we evaluated the outcome of 514 consecutive patients undergoing rescue PCI who were divided into 2 groups according to age:75 years (n = 469) and ≥75 years (n = 45). The primary end point of the study was the incidence of death at 1 year of follow-up. The secondary end point was the 1-year incidence of major cardiac adverse events (MACE) defined as a composite of death, recurrent acute myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization. The predictors of death and MACE at 1 year were also investigated. At 1 year of follow-up, the75-year-old group had a significantly lower incidence of death (7% vs 24%, p = 0.0001) and MACE (14% vs 28%, p = 0.01) compared to the ≥75-year-old group. The Cox proportional hazards model identified age (adjusted hazard ratio 0.2665, 95% confidence interval 0.1285 to 0.5524, p = 0.0004), cardiogenic shock (hazard ratio 0.1057, 95% confidence interval 0.0528 to 0.2117, p0.000001), Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction flow grade 2 to 3 after PCI versus 0 to 1 (hazard ratio 3.8380, 95% confidence interval 1.7781 to 8.2843, p = 0.0006), multi- versus single-vessel disease (hazard ratio 0.3716, 95% confidence interval 0.1896 to 0.7284, p = 0.0039) as independent predictors of survival at 1 year of follow-up. In conclusion, at 1 year of follow-up after rescue PCI, the patients aged ≥75 years had a greater incidence of death and MACE compared to patients aged75 years. Age, cardiogenic shock, Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction flow grade 0-1 after PCI, and multivessel coronary disease were predictors of survival and freedom from MACE at 1 year of follow-up.

Percutaneous transcatheter closure of paravalvular leaks is an attractive treatment option in high risk symptomatic patients unsuitable for redo surgery. We present a case of a 64 year-old woman with double mechanical mitral and aortic valve prosthesis referred for a symptomatic mitral paravalvular leak. Because of the high surgical risk transcatheter closure of the defect was planned. The procedure was performed under real time 3D transoesophageal echocardiographic guidance via trans-septal approach. An Amplatzer Vascular Plug III 14 × 3 mm was implanted using an arteriovenous wire loop established through the aortic valve prosthesis. A transient dysfunction of the mitral prosthesis occurred, but it resolved spontaneously within few hours. Transcatheter paravalvular leak closure with an arteriovenous wire loop across a mechanical aortic valve prosthesis has never been described. We discuss the main technical issues.

Exercise-induced ST-segment elevation in patients without previous myocardial infarction is a relatively uncommon finding. When it does occur, it may be associated with significant coronary artery disease or coronary vasospasm. Here we describe a case of exercise-induced ST-segment elevation in both anterior and inferior leads in a patient with a critical stenosis on a wrapped left anterior descending artery, successfully treated with transluminal coronary artery angioplasty.

The effect of multivessel disease (MVD) with or without a concomitant chronic total occlusion (CTO) has never been investigated in patients treated with rescue percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).This study evaluates whether there is an increased rate of death at 1-year follow-up in patients undergoing rescue PCI with angiographic pattern of MVD and a concurrent CTO in comparison with single-vessel disease (SVD) and MVD without CTO.Among 551 consecutive patients undergoing rescue PCI, we compared the 1-year survival rates of 361 patients with SVD, 137 with MVD without a CTO, and 53 with MVD and a CTO.The 1-year mortality rates of patients with SVD, MVD without CTO, and MVD with CTO were 5%, 13%, and 27%, respectively (P.001). The Cox proportional hazard model identified the presence of MVD with CTO as a strong predictor of death at 1-year follow-up (hazard ratio [HR], 3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-7.1; P=.001), while MVD alone did not result as a predictor of outcome (HR, 1.9; 95% CI, 0.9-3.8; P=.064). Adjusted 1-year overall survival rates were 96%, 91.4%, and 83.4% (P=.001) in the groups with SVD, MVD without CTO, and MVD with CTO, respectively.Patients with MVD and concurrent CTO have higher mortality rates than those with SVD or MVD without CTO at 1-year follow-up after rescue PCI. MVD with CTO and not MVD alone is a predictor of death at 1-year follow-up.

To evaluate the short- and mid-term clinical and echocardiographic outcome of HELEX Septal Occluder (HSO) implantation in patients with patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal aneurysm (ASA).Percutaneous closure of PFO and ASA with HSO device has not been systematically studied.We studied 90 patients with PFO and ASA with documented paradoxical embolic events. The procedural and clinical results of 30 consecutive patients treated with HSO were compared with those obtained in 30 consecutive patients treated with the Amplatzer PFO (APO) and with those of a further 30 consecutive patients treated with the Amplatzer Cribriform (AMF). Primary endpoint was the persistence of moderate to severe residual right-to-left shunting (rRLS) at 6-month follow-up. The incidence of death or recurrent embolic events (REE) at 1-year follow-up were also investigated.The procedure was successfully completed in all patients. There was one HSO device embolization. Immediate moderate RLS was significantly higher in the HSO group compared to APO and AMF groups (20% vs 3% vs 0%, respectively; P=.008). The incidence of moderate rRLS decreased but was still significant at 6-month follow-up (17% in the HSO group vs 3% in the APO group; P=.02). At 1-year follow-up, moderate rRLS persisted only in the HSO group (7%). No deaths or REE were observed during hospitalization or at 1-year follow-up.HSO device seems to be a second-line device as compared to Amplatzer occluders for the treatment of PFO and ASA.

To the Editor: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an important therapeutic strategy for high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. Recently, this technique has proven to be as effective as surgery in reducing mortality at 2 years in this population ([1][1]). Historically, the

Background The clinical results of abciximab administration during rescue angioplasty (PCI) are poorly investigated. Methods We evaluated the outcome of 406 consecutive patients undergoing rescue PCI treated with ( n =218) or without ( n =188) abciximab and a clopidogrel loading dose of 300mg. The end point was the incidence of major cardiac adverse events (MACE) defined as death, recurrent acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and target vessel revascularization at 30days and 1year. The predictors of MACE were also investigated. Results No differences were found in MACE between the groups treated with or without abciximab at 30days (15 and 20, p =0.67) and 1year (23 and 29, p =0.85). Stepwise logistic regression analysis identified: cardiogenic shock (Odds Ratio [OR]=17.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5–99, p =0.0001), age (OR=1.099, 95% CI 1.04–1.15, p =0.0001), TIMI flow 0–1 after procedure (OR=5.51, 95% CI 1.72–17.6, p =0.004) as independent predictors of MACE at 30days. Cox proportional hazards model identified: cardiogenic shock (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]=3.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.76–8.35, p =0.01), age (HR=3.7, 95% CI 1.75–8.3, p =0.01), TIMI flow 0–1 after procedure (HR=1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.07, p =0.001 as predictors of MACE at 1year). After propensity score adjustments the predictors of MACE did not change. Conclusion There were no differences in MACE at 30days and 1year in patients treated with or without abciximab during rescue PCI after a clopidogrel loading dose of 300mg. Cardiogenic shock, age and TIMI flow 0 and 1 after PCI were predictors of MACE.