Abstract Background Optimal upfront dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration after complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) remains unclear. Objectives This ...study investigated the efficacy and safety of long- (≥12 months) versus short-term (3 or 6 months) DAPT with aspirin and clopidogrel according to PCI complexity. Methods We pooled patient-level data from 6 randomized controlled trials investigating DAPT durations after PCI. Complex PCI was defined as having at least 1 of the following features: 3 vessels treated, ≥3 stents implanted, ≥3 lesions treated, bifurcation with 2 stents implanted, total stent length >60 mm, or chronic total occlusion. The primary efficacy endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or stent thrombosis. The primary safety endpoint was major bleeding. Intention-to-treat was the primary analytic approach. Results Of 9,577 patients included in the pooled dataset for whom procedural variables were available, 1,680 (17.5%) underwent complex PCI. Overall, 85% of patients received new-generation DES. At a median follow-up time of 392 days (interquartile range: 366 to 710 days), patients who underwent complex PCI had a higher risk of MACE (adjusted hazard ratio HR: 1.98; 95% confidence interval CI: 1.50 to 2.60; p < 0.0001). Compared with short-term DAPT, long-term DAPT yielded significant reductions in MACE in the complex PCI group (adjusted HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.35 to 0.89) versus the noncomplex PCI group (adjusted HR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.75 to 1.35; pinteraction = 0.01). The magnitude of the benefit with long-term DAPT was progressively greater per increase in procedural complexity. Long-term DAPT was associated with increased risk for major bleeding, which was similar between groups (pinteraction = 0.96). Results were consistent by per-treatment landmark analysis. Conclusions Alongside other established clinical risk factors, procedural complexity is an important parameter to take into account in tailoring upfront duration of DAPT.
Objectives The study sought to evaluate the clinical impact of angiographic complete (CR) and incomplete (ICR) revascularization and its association with the presence of total occlusions (TO), after ...percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in the “all-comers” SYNTAX (Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) trial. Background In patients with complex coronary artery disease undergoing PCI or CABG, the long-term prognostic implications of CR versus ICR is unsettled. Methods In this post hoc study, consisting of randomized (n = 1,800) and nested PCI (n = 198) and CABG (n = 649) registries, 4-year clinical outcomes were compared in groups, with and without angiographic CR, in the PCI and CABG arms. Clinical outcomes were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier estimates, log-rank comparisons, and Cox regression analyses. Multivariate predictors of ICR were determined. Similar analyses were undertaken in the TO and non-TO treated groups of both study arms. Results Angiographic CR was achieved in 52.8% of the PCI arm and 66.9% of the CABG arm. Within the PCI and CABG arms, ICR (compared with CR) seemed to be a surrogate marker of a greater burden of anatomical coronary complexity and clinical comorbidity and was associated with significantly higher frequencies of 4-year mortality, all-cause revascularization, stent thrombosis (PCI arm), and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events. The presence of a TO was the strongest independent predictor of ICR after PCI (hazard ratio: 2.70, 95% confidence interval: 1.98 to 3.67, p < 0.001). Eight hundred and forty patients (PCI: 26.3%, CABG: 36.4%, p < 0.001) were identified to have 1,007 TOs, with 68.1% of TOs located in the proximal-mid coronary vasculature. The findings associating ICR (compared with CR) with higher frequencies of 4-year mortality and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events remained consistent in the TO-treated groups in the PCI and CABG arms. Conclusions Within the PCI and CABG arms of the all-comers SYNTAX trial, angiographically determined ICR has a detrimental impact on long-term clinical outcomes, including mortality. This effect remained consistent in patients with and without TOs.
Our study objective was to assess the incidence, predictors, and implications of access site complications related to transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We pooled the ...prospective TAVI databases of 5 experienced centers in Europe enrolling only transfemoral cases for this analysis. Access site complications were defined according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium end-point definitions. The global transfemoral TAVI database contained 986 patients. Percutaneous access and closure was performed in 803 patients (81%) and a surgical strategy in 183 (19%). Incidences of major vascular complications, life-threatening/disabling bleeding, and major bleeding were 14.2%, 11%, and 17.8% respectively. In the patient cohort with a completely percutaneous access strategy, major vascular complications and life-threatening/disabling bleedings were related to closure device failure in 64% and 29%, respectively. Female gender (odds ratio 1.63, 95% confidence interval 1.12 to 2.36) and use of >19Fr system (2.87, 1.68 to 4.91) were independent predictors for major vascular complications. Female gender (odds ratio 2.04, 95% confidence interval 1.31 to 3.17), use of >19Fr system (1.86, 1.02 to 3.38), peripheral arterial disease (2.14, 1.27 to 3.61), learning effect (0.45, 0.27 to 0.73), and percutaneous access strategy (2.39, 1.16 to 4.89) were independently associated with life-threatening/disabling bleedings. In conclusion, transfemoral TAVI is associated with a >10% incidence of major vascular-related complications. A considerable number of these events is related to arteriotomy closure failure. Arterial sheath size and female gender are important determinants of major vascular complications and life-threatening/disabling bleeding.
Abstract Background Although some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses have suggested that prolonged dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) may be associated with increased mortality, the ...mechanistic underpinnings of this association remain unclear. Objectives The aim of this study was to analyze the associations among bleeding, mortality, and DAPT duration after drug-eluting stent implantation in a meta-analysis of RCTs. Methods RCTs comparing different DAPT durations after drug-eluting stent placement were sought through the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases and the proceedings of international meetings. Deaths were considered possibly bleeding related if occurring within 1 year of the episodes of bleeding. Primary analysis was by intention-to-treat. Secondary analysis was performed in a modified intention-to-treat population in which events occurring when all patients were on DAPT were excluded. Results Individual patient data were obtained for 6 RCTs, and aggregate data were available for 12 RCTs. Patients with bleeding had significantly higher rates of mortality compared with those without, and in a time-adjusted multivariate analysis, bleeding was an independent predictor of mortality occurring within 1 year of the bleeding episode (hazard ratio: 6.93; 95% confidence interval: 4.53 to 10.60; p < 0.0001). Shorter DAPT was associated with lower rates of all-cause death compared with longer DAPT (hazard ratio: 0.85; 95% confidence interval: 0.73 to 1.00; p = 0.05), which was driven by lower rates of bleeding-related deaths with shorter DAPT compared with prolonged DAPT (hazard ratio: 0.65; 95% confidence interval: 0.43 to 0.99; p = 0.04). Mortality unrelated to bleeding was comparable between the 2 groups. Similar results were apparent in the modified intention-to-treat population. Conclusions Bleeding was strongly associated with the occurrence of mortality within 1 year after the bleeding event. Shorter compared with longer DAPT was associated with lower risk for bleeding-related death, a finding that may underlie the lower all-cause mortality with shorter DAPT in the RCTs of different DAPT durations after DES.
Abstract Objectives The study sought to investigate the long-term outcomes and predictors of adverse events of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for in-stent chronic total occlusion (IS-CTO). ...Background IS-CTO PCI has traditionally been associated with suboptimal success rates. Methods We performed a multicenter registry of consecutive patients undergoing CTO PCI at 3 specialized centers. Patients were divided in IS-CTO and de novo CTO. The primary endpoint (major adverse cardiac events MACE) was a composite of cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven target-vessel revascularization (TVR) on follow-up. Independent predictors of MACE were sought with Cox regression. Results We included 899 patients (n = 111 IS-CTO, n = 788 de novo CTO). Baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics were balanced between the 2 groups. Overall mean J-CTO (Japanese-Chronic Total Occlusion) score was 1.88 ± 1.24 and mean PROGRESS-CTO (Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention-CTO) score was 1.04 ± 0.88. Antegrade wire escalation was used in 59.0% of IS-CTO and 48.1% of de novo CTO patients (p = 0.08). Procedural success was achieved in 86.5% in both groups (p = 0.99). After a median follow-up of 471 (interquartile range: 354 to 872) days, MACE were observed in 20.8% versus 13.9% in IS-CTO versus de novo CTO (p = 0.07), driven by TVR (16.7% vs. 9.4%; p = 0.03). IS-CTO was an independent predictor of MACE (hazard ratio: 2.16; 95% confidence interval: 1.18 to 3.95; p = 0.01), together with prior surgical revascularization and renal function, CTO PCI indicated for acute coronary syndrome, number of diseased vessels, and PROGRESS-CTO score. Conclusions Procedural success was high and similar in patients with IS-CTO, as compared with de novo CTO. However, IS-CTO was independently associated with MACE (driven by TVR) on follow-up.
Background Little is known about the impact of bleeding and red blood cells transfusion (RBC) on the outcome post transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Methods Between November 2005 and ...August 2011, 943 consecutive patients underwent TAVI. Bleeding was assessed according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium definitions. Patients receiving RBC were compared to those not requiring transfusion. Results Life-threatening and major bleedings occurred respectively in 13.9% and 20.9% of the patients, significantly more frequently in the RBC cohort. Vascular complications occurred in 23.2% of the patients. Major and minor vascular complications were more frequent in the RBC group: 19.3 vs 5.2%, P < .001; 15.3 vs 9%, P = .003, respectively. Thirty-day all-cause mortality was 7.2%. Of the overall cohort, 38.9% required RBC transfusion; those receiving at least 4 U of RBC had higher 30-day all-cause mortality than those receiving 1 to 4 U of RBC and those not requiring transfusion: 14.4%, vs 6.3% vs 6.3%, respectively, P = .008. By multivariate analysis, transfusion of RBC was associated with an increased 30-day and 1-year mortality. Major stroke and all stages of acute kidney injury were significantly more frequent in the RBC cohort. Conclusions Bleeding is frequent after TAVI, mainly driven by vascular complications. RBC transfusion was associated with increased mortality at 1 year and increased risk of major stroke and acute kidney injury. Specific scores are needed to identify the patients at higher risk for TAVI-related bleeding and RBC transfusion.
Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the acute performance of the PLLA ABSORB bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, California) with second-generation metal ...drug-eluting stents (DES) in complex coronary artery lesions. Background Thick polymer-based BVS have different mechanical properties than thin second-generation DES. Data on the acute performance of BVS are limited to simple coronary lesions treated in trials with strict inclusion criteria. Methods Fifty complex coronary lesions (all type American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association B2-C) treated with a BVS undergoing a final optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination were compared with an equal number of matched lesions treated with second-generation DES. The following stent performance indexes were assessed with OCT: mean and minimal area, residual area stenosis (RAS), incomplete strut apposition (ISA), tissue prolapse, eccentricity index, symmetry index, strut fracture, and edge dissection. Results One hundred lesions from 73 patients were analyzed. A higher balloon diameter/reference vessel diameter ratio was used for predilation in the BVS group (p < 0.01). Most of the BVS and DES were post-dilated with short noncompliant (NC) balloons of similar diameter. OCT showed in the BVS group a higher tissue prolapse area (p = 0.08) and greater incidence of ISA at the proximal edge (p = 0.04) with no difference in the overall ISA. The RAS was 20.2% in the BVS group and 21.7% in the DES group (p = 0.32). There was no difference in the eccentricity index. The minimal and mean lumen areas were similar in the 2 groups. Two cases of strut fractures occurred after the BVS, whereas none was observed in the DES. Conclusions Based on OCT, the BVS showed similar post-procedure area stenosis, minimal lumen area, and eccentricity index as second-generation DES. The different approach for lesion preparation and routine use of OCT guidance during BVS expansion may have contributed to these results.
Although transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for severe aortic stenosis is becoming an established technique, the effect of gender-related differences is poorly described. We performed a ...gender-based comparison of high-risk patients undergoing TAVI with the self-expandable CoreValve Revalving System for severe aortic stenosis to evaluate early and mid-term clinical outcomes. From the Italian prospective CoreValve registry, 659 consecutive patients (55.8% women) who underwent TAVI were included in the present study. We analyzed the gender-based differences in terms of clinical, angiographic, and procedural features and the differences in the rate of early and mid-term major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events. The men were younger, presented more often with severe left ventricular dysfunction, and had a greater rate of previous myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, peripheral artery disease, renal failure, and heart conduction disorders than the women. The logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score did not differ between the 2 groups. The overall unadjusted and adjusted analyses failed to show significant differences between genders in terms of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events at a median follow-up of 13 months (range 8 to 18). At late follow-up (landmark analysis >12 months), a survival benefit was observed in women (hazard ratio 0.27, 95% confidence interval 0.09 to 0.84, p = 0.02). In conclusion, in this multicenter registry, the gender-based comparison of TAVI patients showed that men, despite the younger age, had more extensive atherosclerotic burden compared to women. Overall, the early and mid-term outcomes were similar between genders, although women might have a survival benefit with longer follow-up.
Background There are no direct comparisons between transapical aortic valve implantation (TA-AVI) and transfemoral aortic valve implantation (TF-AVI). Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare ...the short-term and midterm outcomes of TA-AVI versus TF-AVI. Methods Data from four European centers were pooled and analyzed. To minimize differences between TA-AVI and TF-AVI multivariable analysis was used. Study endpoints were defined according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium-I criteria at 30 days and 1 year. Primary endpoints of this study were 30-day all-cause mortality and mortality during follow-up. Results A total of 882 patients underwent TAVI, of whom 793 (89.9%) underwent TF-AVI and 89 (10.1%) underwent TA-AVI. Patients undergoing TA-AVI had a higher estimated risk of mortality as defined by the logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score (median 27.0, interquartile range IQR: 20.2 to 33.8 versus median 20.0, IQR: 12.3 to 27.7; p < 0.001) and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Score (median 10.2, IQR: 5.3 to 9.9 versus median 6.7, IQR: 3.5 to 9.9; p < 0.001) and had more comorbidities. At 30 days, there was an increased risk of all-cause mortality in the TA-AVI group (odds ratio OR 3.12, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.43 to 6.82; p = 0.004). TF-AVI was associated with a higher frequency of major (OR 0.33, 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.90; p = 0.031) and minor vascular complications (OR 0.17, 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.71; p = 0.0015). In-hospital stay was significantly longer among patients undergoing TA-AVI (OR 2.29, 95% CI: 1.28 to 4.09; p = 0.05). During a median follow-up of 365 days (IQR: 174 to 557), TA-AVI was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.88, 95% CI: 1.23 to 2.87; p = 0.004). Conclusions In institutions performing a low volume of TA-AVI, the technique is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and longer hospital stay but less vascular complications in comparison with TF-AVI. The interaction between experience and type of treatment on outcome requires further investigation before advocating one treatment over the other.
The Syntax score (SXscore) was recently developed as a comprehensive angiographic scoring system aiming to assist in patient selection and risk stratification of patients with extensive coronary ...artery disease undergoing contemporary revascularization. A validation of this angiographic classification scheme is lacking. We assessed its predictive value in patients who underwent percutaneous intervention (PCI) for 3-vessel disease and explored its performance in comparison with the modified lesion classification system of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology. The SXscore, applied to 1,292 lesions in 306 patients who underwent PCI for 3-vessel disease in the Arterial Revascularization Therapies Study Part II, was 4 to 54.5, and after a median of 370 days (range 274 to 400) predicted the rate of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (hazard ratio 1.08/U increase, 95% confidence interval 1.05 to 1.11, p <0.0001), with patients in the highest SXscore tertile having a significantly higher event rate (27.9%) than patients in the lowest tertile (8.7%, hazard ratio 3.5, 95% confidence interval 1.7 to 7.4, p = 0.001). By multivariable analyses, SXscore independently predicted outcome with an almost fourfold adjusted increase in the risk of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events in patients with high versus low values based on the discrimination level provided by classification and regression tree analysis. Compared with the modified lesion classification scheme of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology, SXscore showed a greater discrimination ability (c-index 0.58 ± 0.08 vs 0.67 ± 0.08, respectively, p <0.001) and a better goodness of fit with the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic. In conclusion, the SXscore is a promising tool to risk stratify outcome in patients with extensive coronary artery disease undergoing contemporary PCI.
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