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Background: Rates of major bleeding and intraprocedural thrombotic events (IPTE) in the setting of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using weight-adjusted unfractionated heparin (UFH) without activated clotting time (ACT) monitoring are not known., Methods: We reviewed 2,748 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography at our tertiary care university hospital between January 2017 and December 2020. All patients who underwent PCI with weight-adjusted UFH without ACT guidance were considered for further analysis. Major bleeding complications occurring within 48 hours of PCI were collected from patients' medical records. IPTE were collected independently by two interventional cardiologists after review of coronary angiograms., Results: There were 718 patients included in the analysis (65.4 ± 12.2 years old; 81.3% male). In total, 45 patients (7.8%) experienced a major bleed or IPTE. The most common IPTE were slow/no reflow (1.5%) and coronary artery dissection with decreased flow (1.1%). Other IPTE occurred in <1% of cases. Major bleeding occurred in 11 patients (1.5%), of whom 8 required blood transfusion and 3 required vascular intervention. Bleeding complications were more common with femoral compared with radial access (6.6% vs. 0.2%, P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Weight-adjusted UFH use during PCI without ACT monitoring was related to low rates of major bleeding or IPTE., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ali Z. Zgheib et al.)

Objectives: The goal of this study was to assess the performance and incidence of the deterioration of the Labcor Dokimos bioprosthetic aortic valve., Methods: We performed a retrospective medical chart review of 116 patients who underwent surgical aortic valve replacement with the Labcor Dokimos aortic valve between 2010 and 2018. Abstracted data included patient demographic and echocardiographic data. Patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with structural valve deterioration (SVD) and patients without SVD., Results: Among the patients with complete follow-up (n = 95), 10 patients were excluded because they died within a year; 85 patients were included in the final analysis. Of the 85 patients, 32 (38%) developed SVD; 22 (26%) had severe SVD, 15 (18%) of whom underwent reintervention. The most common aetiology of SVD was severe central aortic regurgitation, which was detected in 91% of the patients who had severe SVD. The average time from operation to severe SVD was 4.7 years with a minimum of 1.5 years and a maximum of 7.9 years., Conclusions: Bioprosthetic aortic valve deterioration due to severe aortic regurgitation is common and occurs early with the Labcor Dokimos valve. This occurrence needs to be furthered investigated in larger registries., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.)

Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest.

Competing Interests: F.J.S. is a TAVR proctor for Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Abbot Vascular, and Boston Scientific. All remaining authors have nothing relevant to disclose.

Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures Dr Sawaya is a TAVR proctor for Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Abbot Vascular, and Boston Scientific. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is currently an established therapy for elderly patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis across all surgical risk categories. Access is an important aspect when planning for and performing TAVI. The superiority of a transfemoral (TF) approach compared to a transthoracic (transapical, direct aortic) approach has been demonstrated in several studies. Recently, the introduction of intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) has made it possible to treat patients with calcified iliofemoral disease by TF approach. This article aimed to provide a comprehensive overview on the following aspects: (1) preprocedural planning for IVL-assisted TF-TAVI; (2) procedural aspects in IVL-assisted TF-TAVI; (3) outcomes of IVL-assisted TF-TAVI in an experienced TAVI center; and (4) literature review and discussion of this new emerging approach., Competing Interests: OD received speaker fees from Shockwave Medical Inc. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Sawaya, Bajoras, Vanhaverbeke, Wang, Bieliauskas, Søndergaard and De Backer.)

An 81-year-old man underwent mitral valve replacement in 2015 for severe calcific mitral stenosis with multiple subsequent hospitalizations for pulmonary edema. TEE in 2019 revealed severe paravalvular regurgitation. This is the first reported case of suprannular atrially placed mitral paravalvular leak closure.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been established as an alternative treatment option to coronary artery by-pass graft (CABG) surgery in patients with left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD). Whether the findings of randomized controlled trials are applicable to a real-world patient population is unclear., Methods: We compared the outcomes of PCI with new-generation DES in the all-comer, international, multicenter DELTA-2 registry retrospectively evaluating mid-term clinical outcomes with the historical CABG cohort enrolled in the DELTA-1 registry according to the EXCEL key inclusion or exclusion criteria. The primary endpoint was the composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke at the median time of follow-up time of 501 days. The consistency of the effect of DELTA-2 PCI versus DELTA-1 CABG according to the EXCEL enrollment criteria was tested using propensity score-adjusted Cox regression models., Results: Out of 3986 patients enrolled in the DELTA-2 PCI registry, 2418 were EXCEL candidates and 1568 were not EXCEL candidates. The occurrence of the primary endpoint was higher among non-EXCEL candidates compared with EXCEL candidates (15.4% vs. 6.9%; hazard ratio 2.52; 95% confidence interval 2.00-3.16; p < 0.001). Among 901 patients enrolled in the historical DELTA-1 CABG cohort, 471 were EXCEL candidates and 430 were not EXCEL candidates. When comparing the DELTA-2 PCI with the DELTA-1 CABG cohort, the occurrence of the primary endpoint was lower in the PCI group compared with the historical CABG cohort among EXCEL candidates (6.9% vs. 10.7%; adjusted hazard ratio: 0.65; 95% confidence interval: 0.45-0.92), while no significant difference was observed among non-EXCEL candidates (15.4% vs. 12.5%; adjusted hazard ratio: 0.94; 95% confidence interval: 0.67-1.33) with evidence of statistical interaction (adjusted interaction p-value = 0.002)., Conclusions: In a real-world population, PCI can be selected more favorably as an alternative to CABG in patients fulfilling the enrollment criteria of the EXCEL trial., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become an established therapeutic option for patients with symptomatic, severe aortic stenosis. The optimal treatment strategy for concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been tested prospectively in a randomized clinical trial. This study aimed to describe the degree of CAD, revascularization strategies, and long-term clinical outcomes in a large-scale all-comers TAVR-population. Nine hundred and forty-four consecutive patients underwent TAVR. Obstructive CAD was reported in 224 patients (23.7%)-of these, 150 (66.9%) presented with one-vessel disease (1-VD), 51 (22.8%) with 2-VD, and 23 (10.3%) with 3-VD. Two-thirds underwent coronary revascularization before TAVR; half of those patients with 1-VD and only one-third of those with multivessel disease were completely revascularized. In general, borderline stenoses (50%-70%) were more frequently revascularized in proximal coronary segments than in more distal segments. Long-term survival rates by Kaplan-Meier analysis of the total TAVR population at 5 and 9 years were 64.7% and 54.1%, respectively. A diagnostic coronary angiography was performed in 16.5% of patients within 5 years after TAVR; only 4.8% underwent consequent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). There was no difference in survival and need for revascularization post-TAVR between those patients with or without obstructive CAD ± revascularization. Neither was there a survival difference between those with or without previous CABG and/or chronic total occlusion(s). In conclusion, CAD is prevalent in TAVR patients and pre-TAVR coronary revascularization is typically focused on treating proximal and high-grade stenosis. A selective pre-TAVR PCI strategy results in favorable clinical outcomes with very low rates of post-TAVR coronary revascularization., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objectives: This report demonstrates the application and feasibility of novel 3D-MDCT real-time fusion technology with fluoroscopy, for left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion procedures., Background: A successful LAA occlusion procedure relies on multiple imaging modalities, including TEE or 3D-MDCT, and fluoroscopy. Effectively integrating these imaging modalities may improve implantation safety and success. To our knowledge this technique has not been previously described for LAA occlusions., Methods: This observational study compared clinical and procedural parameters for procedures performed with or without fusion integration. All patients had a pre-procedural 3D-MDCT for LAA measurements, along with 3D analyses of LAA morphology and surrounding structures. Using the image fusion software (Valve ASSIST 2, GE Healthcare, UK), landmarks were identified on fluoroscopy, and MDCT LAA anatomy outlines were then projected onto the real-time fluoroscopy image during the procedure, to guide all steps of the intervention., Results: A total of 57 patients underwent LAA occlusion, with 16 performed using fusion software. In comparison to the pre-fusion group, reductions in contrast volume (21.0 ± 11.7 vs. 95.9 ± 80.5 ml, P < 0.001), procedure time (63.0 ± 22.0 vs. 87.3 ± 43.0 min, P = 0.01), and fluoroscopy time (6.2 vs. 8.3 min, P = 0.03) were observed. Incomplete sealing (0 vs. 14.6%, P = 0.16) and device deployment success (100 vs. 92.7%, P = 0.17) were not significantly different., Conclusions: The addition of this novel fusion technology is safe and feasible. To optimize LAA procedural success, fusion integration may offer a promising addition, or alternative, to current imaging modalities. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes of unprotected left main coronary artery percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with new-generation drug-eluting stents in a "real world" population., Background: PCI of the unprotected left main coronary artery is currently recommended as an alternative to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in selected patients., Methods: All consecutive patients with unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis treated by PCI with second-generation drug-eluting stents were analyzed in this international, all-comers, multicenter registry. The results were compared with those from the historical DELTA 1 (Drug Eluting Stent for Left Main Coronary Artery) CABG cohort using propensity score stratification. The primary endpoint was the composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke at the median time of follow-up., Results: A total of 3,986 patients were included. The mean age was 69.6 ± 10.9 years, diabetes was present in 30.8%, and 21% of the patients presented with acute MI. The distal left main coronary artery was involved in 84.6% of the lesions. At a median of 501 days (≈17 months) of follow-up, the occurrence of the primary endpoint of death, MI, or cerebrovascular accident was lower in the PCI DELTA 2 group compared with the historical DELTA 1 CABG cohort (10.3% vs. 11.6%; adjusted hazard ratio: 0.73; 95% confidence interval: 0.55 to 0.98; p = 0.03). Of note, an advantage of PCI was observed with respect to cerebrovascular accident (0.8% vs. 2.0%; adjusted hazard ratio: 0.37; 95% confidence interval: 0.16 to 0.86; p = 0.02), while an advantage of CABG was observed with respect to target vessel revascularization (14.2% vs. 2.9%; adjusted hazard ratio: 3.32; 95% confidence interval: 2.12 to 5.18; p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: After a median follow-up period of 17 months, PCI with new-generation drug-eluting stents was associated with an overall low rate of the composite endpoint of death, MI, or cerebrovascular accident., (Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common genetically transmitted heart disease. Around two-thirds of patients develop symptoms caused by the dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, either at rest or during effort. For patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) that remain symptomatic despite optimal medical treatment, septal reduction is a valuable therapeutic strategy. While surgical myomectomy was considered the gold standard until the end of the 1990s, alcohol septal ablation (ASA) has gained rapid popularity and acceptance, especially in Europe. In this review, we describe indications and contraindications to ASA, along with technical considerations related to the procedure. Particular emphasis is put on adjunctive imaging modalities required for proper patient selection (echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging) and procedure safety (echocardiography). Next, we describe postprocedural care and potential procedural complications. Finally, a review of the recent literature describing the long-term results of ASA is presented. In short, when performed by an experienced team, ASA has a high success rate and low complication rate. The procedure provides symptom relief and grants patients similar longevity to that of the general population.

Background: To assess the vessel-healing pattern of Ultimaster drug-eluting stent using optical frequency domain imaging. Our hypothesis is that biodegradable polymer-based drug-eluting technology allows complete very early strut coverage., Methods and Results: The DISCOVERY 1TO3 study (Evaluation With OFDI of Strut Coverage of Terumo New Drug Eluting Stent With Biodegradable Polymer at 1, 2, and 3 Months) is a prospective, single-arm, multicenter study. A total of 60 patients with multivessel disease requiring staged procedure at 1 month were treated with Ultimaster. Optical frequency domain imaging was acquired at baseline, 1, 2, and 3 months. The primary end point is optical frequency domain imaging-assessed strut coverage at 3 months. Mean age of patients was 67.2±9.9 years, and 73.3% were male, and 36.7% presented with acute coronary syndrome. A total of 132 lesions were treated, with average 1.4 lesions per patient treated at baseline and 1.1 lesions treated at 1 month. Strut coverage at 3 months of single implanted stents (n=71, primary end point) was 95.2±5.2% and of combined single and overlapped stents was 95.4±4.9%. Strut coverage of combined single and overlapped stents at 1 (n=49) and 2 months (n=38) was 85.1±12.7% and 87.9±10.8%, respectively. The median neointimal hyperplasia thickness was 0.04, 0.05, and 0.06 mm, whereas mean neointimal hyperplasia obstruction was 4.5±2.4%, 5.2±3.4%, and 6.6±3.3% at 1, 2, and 3 months, respectively., Conclusions: Nearly complete strut coverage was observed in this complex population very early after implantation of Ultimaster drug-eluting stent., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01844843., (© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has evolved from a novel technology to an established therapy for high/intermediate-risk patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). Although TAVR is used to treat bicuspid severe AS, the large randomized trials typically excluded bicuspid AS because of its unique anatomic features. This case report describes an acute aortic perforation during delivery of a transcatheter heart valve to treat a severe bicuspid AS with a "gothic aortic arch"; more careful evaluation of the preprocedural multislice computed tomographic scan would have unveiled a sharply angulated aortic arch. This life-threatening complication was successfully treated by thoracic endovascular aortic repair., (Copyright © 2017 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become an established and increasingly-used technique to treat patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (AS) over the past decade. The clinical outcomes obtained with TAVI have been found to be equivalent to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with a high-risk profile. Following the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves (PARTNER) 1 trial, which demonstrated the utility of TAVI in inoperable and high-risk groups, the PARTNER 2 trial was implemented. PARTNER 2 reflects the current TAVI practice in Europe, confirms that transfemoral access is related to superior outcomes compared to SAVR in a selected population and demonstrates improved results with new-generation devices., Competing Interests: Disclosure: LS has received research grants from Medtronic, St Jude Medical, Boston Scientific, Symetis and Edwards Lifescience, and is a proctor for Medtronic, St Jude Medical, Boston Scientific and Symetis. FJS has no conflict of interest.

Objectives: Accurate sizing of the left atrial appendage (LAA) is essential when performing percutaneous LAA closure. This study aimed to compare different LAA imaging modalities and sizing methods in order to obtain successful LAA closure., Background: Percutaneous LAA closure is an increasingly used treatment strategy to prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. LAA sizing has typically been done by 2D-transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE)., Methods: Patients who had a preprocedural TEE and preprocedural and postprocedural multislice CT (MSCT) were identified. Preprocedural measurements of LAA ostia and landing zones by 2D-TEE, MSCT and angiography were collected and analysed for those patients with successful LAA closure - i.e. with no contrast leakage at 3-month follow-up MSCT., Results: The study population (n=67) had a mean CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score of 3.0 and HAS-BLED score of 2.7. Fifty-eight patients (87%) were identified to have successful LAA closure. Based on MSCT, 48 LAA sizings (83%) resulted in a correct LAA closure device size selection, whereas with 2D-TEE sizing, only 33 measurements (57%) would have resulted in a correct device size selection (p<0.01). Using adapted Bland-Altman method, MSCT-based perimeter-derived mean diameter was shown to be the best parameter to guide LAA device size selection for ‘closed-end’ devices (Amulet, WatchmanFLX), whereas the maximal diameter was the best parameter for the ‘open-end’ Watchman device., Conclusions: Preprocedural MSCT-based LAA closure device size selection proves to be a more accurate method than conventional 2D-TEE-based sizing. Depending on the LAA closure device design, perimeter-derived mean diameter or maximal diameter could be the better sizing method., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of transcatheter heart valves (THV) for the treatment of noncalcific pure native aortic valve regurgitation (NAVR) and failing bioprosthetic surgical heart valves (SHVs) with pure severe aortic regurgitation (AR)., Background: Limited data are available about the "off-label" use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) to treat pure severe AR., Methods: The study population consisted of patients with pure severe AR treated by TAVR at 18 different centers. Study endpoints were device success, early safety, and clinical efficacy at 30 days, as defined by Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 criteria., Results: A total of 146 patients were included, 78 patients in the NAVR group and 68 patients in the failing SHV group. In the NAVR group, device success, early safety, and clinical efficacy were 72%, 66%, and 61%, respectively. Device success and clinical efficacy were significantly better with newer generation THVs compared with old-generation THVs (85% vs. 54% and 75% vs. 46%, respectively, p < 0.05); this was mainly due to less second THV implantations and a lower rate of moderate to severe paravalvular regurgitation (10% vs. 24% and 3% vs. 27%, respectively). Independent predictors of 30-day mortality were body mass index <20 kg/m 2 , STS surgical risk score >8%, major vascular or access complication, and moderate to severe AR. In the failing SHV group, device success, early safety, and clinical efficacy were 71%, 90%, and 77%, respectively., Conclusions: TAVR for pure NAVR remains a challenging condition, with old-generation THVs being associated with THV embolization and migration and significant paravalvular regurgitation. Newer generation THVs show more promising outcomes. For those patients with severe AR due to failing SHVs, TAVR is a valuable therapeutic option., (Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Contemporary clinical trials, registries, and meta-analyses, supported by recent results from the EXCEL (Everolimus-Eluting Stents or Bypass Surgery for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease) and NOBLE (Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Treatment of Unprotected Left Main Stenosis) trials, have established percutaneous coronary intervention of left main coronary stenosis as a safe alternative to coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with low and intermediate SYNTAX (Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) scores. As left main percutaneous coronary intervention gains acceptance, it is imperative to increase awareness for patient selection, risk scoring, intracoronary imaging, vessel preparation, and choice of stenting techniques that will optimize procedural and patient outcomes., (Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Whether the efficacy and safety of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) are uniform between sexes is unclear. We sought to compare clinical outcomes between short- (≤6 months) versus long-term (≥1 year) DAPT after drug-eluting stent (DES) placement in women and men., Methods and Results: We pooled individual patient data from 6 randomized trials of DAPT (EXCELLENT, OPTIMIZE, PRODIGY, RESET, SECURITY, ITALIC PLUS). The primary outcome was 1-year risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The main secondary outcome was 1-year risk of any bleeding. Out of the 11,473 randomized patients included in the pooled dataset, 3,454 (30%) were females. At 1-year follow-up, women had higher risk of MACE (3.6% vs. 2.8%; P = 0.01) but similar risk of bleeding (1.9% vs. 1.6%; P = 0.16) as compared with men. Compared with long-term DAPT, short-term DAPT was associated with similar rates of MACE in both women (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.62-1.25) and men (HR 1.25; 95% CI 0.95-1.6; P interaction = 0.08)]. At 1-year follow-up, short-term DAPT was associated with lower rates of bleeding as compared with long-term DAPT in both women (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.51-1.37) and men (HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.40-0.84; P-interaction = 0.25). The presence of MVD was associated with higher MACE rates in the short-term DAPT group in women (HR: 1.16; CI 0.60-2.23) and men (HR: 2.29; CI 1.22-4.29; P interaction = 0.25)., Conclusions: Short-term DAPT is associated with similar rates of MACE but lower risk of bleeding when as compared with prolonged DAPT. There was no significant difference between sexes in the population studied. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Aim: To investigate the clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve (S3-THV) vs the SAPIEN XT valve (XT-THV)., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 507 patients that underwent TAVI with the XT-THV and 283 patients that received the S3-THV at our institution between March 2010 and December 2015., Results: Thirty-day mortality (3.5% vs 8.7%; OR = 0.44, P = 0.21) and 1-year mortality (25.7% vs 20.1%, P = 0.55) were similar in the S3-THV and the XT-THV groups. The rates of both major vascular complication and paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) > 1 were almost 4 times lower in the S3-THV group than the XT-THV group (major vascular complication: 2.8% vs 9.9%, P < 0.0001; PVR > 1: 2.4% vs 9.7%, P < 0.0001). However, the rate of new pacemaker implantation was almost twice as high in the S3-THV group (17.3% vs 9.8%, P = 0.03). In the S3 group, independent predictors of new permanent pacemaker were pre-procedural RBBB (OR = 4.9; P = 0.001), pre-procedural PR duration (OR = 1.14, P = 0.05) and device lack of coaxiality (OR = 1.13; P = 0.05) during deployment., Conclusion: The S3-THV is associated to lower rates of major vascular complications and PVR but higher rates of new pacemaker compared to the XT-THV. Sub-optimal visualization of the S3-THV in relation to the aortic valvular complex during deployment is a predictor of new permanent pacemaker., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: Dr. Thierry Lefèvre is a proctor for Edwards LifeSciences. All other authors report no conflict of interest regarding this manuscript.

Purpose: To compare the procedure and safety outcomes of the transradial approach (TRA) with the femoral approach (FA) for treating aortoiliac and femoropopliteal stenoses and occlusions., Methods: A single-center retrospective study was conducted involving 188 patients (mean age 66.4±10.8 years; 116 men) with lower limb claudication or critical limb ischemia who underwent aortoiliac (131, 62.4%) or femoropopliteal (79, 37.6%) interventions on 210 lesions over a 3-year period. Operator discretion determined TRA suitability; exclusions included Raynaud's disease, upper limb occlusive disease, previous TRA difficulties, or planned hemodialysis. Lesion characteristics, clinical endpoints, and access site complications were compared., Results: FA was used primarily in 123 patients and the TRA (12 left and 53 right radial arteries) in 65 procedures. Eleven (16.9%) TRAs failed vs 9 (7.3%) FAs (p=0.42). Crossover to FA was due to occlusive lesions requiring alternative equipment in 9 cases and to tortuosity of the aortic arch vessels in 2 patients. The 134 FA interventions (balloon angioplasty, stents) were retrograde (112, 83.6%) or antegrade (22, 16.4%). There were significantly more TASC C/D lesions in the FA group (p=0.02). Sheath sizes (5-F to 8-F) did not differ between groups, and no significant differences were found between FA vs TRA in terms of procedure time (50.0±28.9 vs 46.8±25.1 minutes, p=0.50) or length of stay (2.2±0.6 vs 2.1±0.3 days, p=0.24). While there were no strokes, access site complications occurred in 6.0% of the FA patients vs 3.7% of the TRA patients (p=0.12)., Conclusion: The transradial approach for aortoiliac and femoropopliteal interventions is safe and efficacious compared with the transfemoral approach for a range of lesion subtypes. Nevertheless, there remains a need for improvements in peripheral device and catheter technology to decrease transradial failure rates., (© The Author(s) 2016.)

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become a well-established intervention with reproducible and excellent early and mid-term outcomes. A minimalist approach to TAVI is already the standard of care in many experienced centers. In this report, we share our experience and opinions on how we can further simplify the TAVI procedure in hope to establish the best possible outcomes., (© 2016, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Although the trans-radial approach (TR) has been applied to various subsets of patients in percutaneous coronary intervention, the feasibility, efficacy, acute procedural and long-term outcomes of TR versus trans-femoral approach (TF) for alcohol septal ablation (ASA) have not yet been determined., Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the short and long-term outcomes of ASA with the TR approach compared to the TF approach., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 240 patients who underwent an ASA procedure at our institution from November 1999 to November 2015. The TR approach was performed in 172 cases and the TF approach in the remaining 68 cases., Results: The use of TR approach progressively increased from 62% in 1999-2005 to 91% in 2011-2015 (p=0.0001). The TF and TR group had similar age, baseline NYHA class (NYHA 3 or 4) and mean left ventricular outflow tract peak gradient before ASA. Total contrast used (TR: 73.2±47.2ml; TF: 88.7±49.3ml, p=0.11), total radiation Air kerma area product (TR: 43.7±48.0Gycm(-2); TF: 55.9±48.2Gycm(-2); p=0.39) and peak left ventricular outflow tract gradient immediately after ASA (TR: 19.1±19.6mmHg; TF: 20.4±18.0mmHg, p=0.63) were similar in both groups. Procedural success was 91.9% and 91.2% in the TR and TF groups, respectively (p=0.53). At 30days, there was 2 intra-hospital death (1 in TF and 1 in TR), 1 major stroke in the TF group and 1 coronary artery dissection in the TR group. Vascular complications were less frequent in the TR group (0.58% vs. 7.3%; p=0.002). The mean length of follow-up was 4.56±4.34years (IQR 0.69-8.2; median 2.92years; maximum: 15.5years). By Kaplan-Meier estimate, the observed survival in the overall cohort was comparable to the expected survival for a sex and age-matched comparable general French population at 10years (86.9 vs. 83.6%, p=0.88). Survival was similar between the TR and TF group (92.1% vs. 89.7% at 6years, respectively; p=0.71)., Conclusions: Alcohol septal ablation from the radial approach can be performed with similar acute and long-term success, but with lower vascular complications compared to the femoral approach., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Coronary bifurcations are frequent and account for approximately 20% of all percutaneous coronary interventions. Nonetheless, they remain one of the most challenging lesion subsets in interventional cardiology in terms of a lower procedural success rate and increased rates of long-term adverse cardiac events. Provisional side branch stenting should be the default approach in the majority of cases and we propose easily applicable and reproducible stepwise techniques associated with low risk of failure and complications., (Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Progressive dyspnea and hypoxaemia in the subacute phase after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are uncommon and warrant immediate assessment of valve and prosthesis leaflet function to exclude thrombosis, as well as investigation for other causes related to the procedure, such as left ventricular dysfunction, pulmonary embolism, and respiratory sepsis. In this case, we report the observation of a patient presenting two weeks after TAVI with arterial hypoxaemia in an upright position, relieved by lying flat, and coupled with an intracardiac shunt detected on echocardiography in the absence of pulmonary hypertension, raising the suspicion of Platypnea-Orthodeoxia Syndrome (POS). Invasive intracardiac haemodynamic assessment showed a significant right-to-left shunt (Qp/Qs = 0.74), which confirmed the diagnosis, with subsequent closure of the intracardiac defect resulting in immediate relief of symptoms and hypoxaemia. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of an interatrial defect and shunt causing Platypnea-Orthodeoxia Syndrome after transcatheter aortic valve implantation, resolved by percutaneous device closure.

Unligated side branches of the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) have been described in the literature as a cause of coronary steal resulting in angina. Despite a number of studies reporting successful side branch embolization to relieve symptoms, this phenomenon remains controversial. Hemodynamic evidence of coronary steal using angiographic and intravascular Doppler techniques has been supported by some and rejected by others. In this case study using an intracoronary Doppler wire with adenosine, we demonstrate that a trial occlusion of the LIMA thoracic side branch with selective balloon inflation can confirm physiologic significant steal and whether coil embolization of the side branch is indicated.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of patients with post-operative ventricular arrhythmia (POVA) in a large cohort of patients., Background: New-onset POVA after cardiac surgery (CS) is uncommon and has controversial prognostic value., Methods: A total of 14,720 consecutive patients undergoing CS at Emory University between January 2004 and July 2010 were included in the study. Data on all-cause mortality were obtained from Social Security Administration death records. Multivariable regression models were constructed to determine the risk factors for POVA and to estimate the independent impact of POVA on long-term survival after adjusting for 40 different covariates., Results: POVA occurred in 248 patients (1.7%). Patients with POVA were older (63.5 vs. 61.6 years), had lower left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) (43.7 vs. 51.3), and had greater comorbidities (Society of Thoracic Surgeons mortality risk score of 7.2% vs. 3.1%, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that older age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.018 per 1-year increase, p < 0.001), emergent surgery (OR: 1.77, p = 0.019), and the presence of PVD (OR: 1.41, p = 0.049) were associated with a higher incidence of POVA, whereas higher left ventricular EF (OR: 0.97 per 1% increase, p < 0.001), mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR: 0.37, p < 0.001), and off-pump surgery (OR: O.41, p < 0.001) were associated with a lower incidence of POVA. POVA was associated with substantially increased adjusted long-term mortality (hazard rate: 2.53, p < 0.001) over 3.5 years of follow-up., Conclusions: POVA is associated with increased long-term mortality after CS. Older age, PVD, lower EF, and emergent surgery are associated with a higher risk of POVA, whereas off-pump surgery seems to be protective., (Copyright © 2012 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) provides valuable information on the coronary vascular lumen and wall and has been an important tool in the cardiac catheterization laboratory for over 2 decades. The major utility of IVUS relates to optimizing stent deployment, particularly in complex lesions. In percutaneous coronary intervention with bare-metal stents, IVUS guidance reduces restenosis. In percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents, IVUS guidance may reduce rates of stent thrombosis with little affect on restenosis. The benefit of IVUS guidance is most important in complex lesion subsets, such as left main and bifurcation lesions, where studies suggest that IVUS guidance may reduce mortality. Whereas IVUS luminal area measurements have been used to assess intermediate lesion severity, recent studies have demonstrated that IVUS accurately identifies nonischemic lesions for which percutaneous coronary intervention can be safely deferred, but cannot accurately predict hemodynamically significant lesions and should not solely be used to justify revascularization. In the current review, we focus on clinical applications of IVUS in interventional cardiology., (Copyright © 2011 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Opinion Statement: There is increasing evidence that restricting caloric intake may have considerable health benefits in humans. Significant evidence in non-primate animals demonstrates that caloric restriction increases average and maximal life span. However, historically, caloric intake reduction in humans has been involuntary and accompanied by poverty, malnutrition, poor sanitation, and a lack of modern health care. As a result, caloric restriction in people typically has been accompanied by a reduction of both average and maximal life span. Conversely, improvements in standards of living usually are accompanied by an increased food supply and resultant improved health and longevity. The majority of the world is now in a new era where an abundance of caloric intake and its associated obesity are causing widespread chronic illness and premature death. What would happen if one were to institute caloric restriction with high-quality nutrition within an environment of modern sanitation and health care? This review argues that improved health and improved average life span would quite likely result. A lengthening of maximal human life span with this combination is perhaps possible but by no means certain.

Polymicrobial gram-negative pericarditis is a rare entity. We describe the first case of suppurative pericarditis with Citrobacter diversus and Proteus mirabilis.

We report here, for perhaps the 1st time in the English-language literature, the extent of the territory fed by the anterior bifurcation of the (anomalous) split right coronary artery (RCA). A 64-year-old man presented with an occlusion of the anterior bifurcation of a split RCA--which resulted in an infarct that involved both the inferoseptal left ventricular wall and the anterior right ventricular free wall. Split RCA is the same anomaly as the improperly named "double right coronary artery." In reality, there are not 2 RCAs, but only split portions of the posterior descending branch of the RCA, with 2 separate proximal courses.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. The disease is determined by many risk factors such as age, gender, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, as well as elevated serum levels of lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), homocysteine, C-reactive protein (CRP) and uric acid. In this study, we evaluated the association of biologic and metabolic parameters with CAD in a group of Lebanese patients., Methods: Three hundred patients were recruited for the study. Biologic and blood metabolic parameters were measured. Patients were then divided into 3 groups according to their catheterization result: 0% stenosis (controls), <50% stenosis and >or=50% stenosis., Results: Hyperlipidemias, CRP, homocysteine and uric acid levels in CAD patients were not different from those of the controls. However, age, elevated fasting blood glucose (FBG) and elevated serum Lp(a) levels were found to be strong independent predictors of CAD in our study population. Association with CAD was also shown for gender, hypertension, diabetes and family history of CAD., Conclusion: We report the importance of serum Lp(a) levels and FBG in the prediction and prevention of CAD in our population.