Journal of Invasive Cardiology

PCI in the setting of previous aorto-ostial stenting can be difficult, especially if there is excessive stent protrusion. Various techniques have been described, including double-wire technique, double-guide snare technique, side-strut sequential ballooning technique, and guide extension facilitated sidestrut stenting. These techniques can sometimes be complicated, and intervention through a side-strut may lead to excessive stent deformation or avulsion of the protruding segment. Our novel technique uses a dual-lumen catheter and floating wire to back the JR4 guide away from the protruding stent while maintaining stability for another guidewire to enter the central lumen...

Major aortopulmonary collaterals (APCs) are more common with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with pulmonary atresia. Collateral arteries, when present, arise most commonly from the descending thoracic aorta, less commonly from the subclavian arteries, and rarely from the abdominal aorta or its branches or from the coronary arteries. Collaterals arising from the coronary arteries can cause myocardial ischemia due to coronary steal phenomenon. They can be addressed either by endovascular interventions like coiling or surgical ligation during the intracardiac repair...

Stent delivery into highly tortuous and/or calcified coronary lesions represents a challenging problem during PCI. In this case series of 7 patients with complex coronary lesions, we had a hard time delivering larger and thus bulkier stents. We used a buddy wire and delivered a stent into the most distal lesion and jailed the buddy wire. We left the wire jailed during the whole procedure and were easily able to deliver large and long stents to the more proximal lesions. Retrieval of the buddy wire was possible without problems in all cases...

OBJECTIVE: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an off-label procedure for selected patients at high surgical risk with native non- or mildly calcified aortic regurgitation (AR). Traditionally, self-expanding transcatheter heart valves (THV) have been favored over balloon-expandable THV's probably due to assumed better device fixation. We report a series of patients with native severe AR successfully treated with a balloon-expandable THV. METHODS: Between 2019 and 2022, 8 consecutive patients (5 male, 82 (interquartile range 80-85) years old, STS PROM 4...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess discordance between results of instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR), fractional flow reserve (FFR), and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in intermediate left main coronary (LM) lesions, and its impact on clinical decision making and outcome. METHODS: We enrolled 250 patients with a 40%-80% LM stenosis in a prospective, multicenter registry. These patients underwent both iFR and FFR measurements. Of these, 86 underwent IVUS and assessment of the minimal lumen area (MLA), with a 6 mm2 cutoff for significance...

BACKGROUND: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) can assist percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusions (CTO). METHODS: We analyzed 8,983 CTO PCIs performed in 8,771 patients between 2012 and 2022 at 39 centers. RESULTS: Overall, IVUS was used in 44.5% of the cases, for crossing in 11.5% and for stent optimization in 33.1%. IVUS for stent optimization was used more often for complex lesions with higher prevalence of calcification (51...

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) scan was performed in a 69-year-old male with atrial fibrillation radiofrequency ablation who was admitted for transcatheter angioplasty of left inferior pulmonary vein (LIPV) stenosis due to recurrent hemoptysis. CT showed complete ostial occlusion in the area of the LIPV. Occlusion of the pulmonary vein ostium is a rare complication. We describe the successful use of chronic occlusion techniques in the treatment of this patient.

Transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is quite challenging in patients with tortuous aorta. Recently, the combined method of buddy wire and long-sheath use was reported. We describe 2 cases having tortuous aorta undergoing transfemoral TAVR following opposite clinical courses. A long-sheath supported transfemoral approach is an effective method in patients with tortuous aorta; however, the tip of a large-bore sheath could cause an aortic injury during the procedure. The advantage of the transfemoral approach and risk of aortic injury should be counterbalanced, especially in patients with fragile tortuous aorta...

A 60-year-old male with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and active smoking was admitted for positive treadmill test. He reported exertional chest pain 4 months ago; however, since then he had been symptom free. Echocardiography showed severe anteroseptal and mild inferoposterior hypokinesia, preserved wall thickness and moderately reduced left-ventricular ejection fraction. Coronary angiography revealed non-calcified chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the left main (LM) with microchannel toward the left circumflex artery (Cx)...

Transradial access may lead to anatomical and functional changes on the vessel wall due to puncture or material-associated trauma, inflammation and loss of endothelium's nitric oxide vasodilatory response. Despite the superficial and palpable radial artery course, caution and dexterity are important assets when puncturing, wiring, inserting the sheath, or maneuvering the catheters. Radial artery anatomic variations, tortuosity, and radial artery spasm are related with femoral access switch. The outer diameter of sheaths and catheters needs to match radial artery internal diameter; otherwise, friction or vascular stretch will occur, activating the surface endothelium and the coagulation cascade...

BACKGROUND: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, particularly once patients develop critical limb threatening ischemia (CLTI). Minorities and vulnerable populations often present with CLTI and experience worse outcomes. The use of directional atherectomy (DA) and drug-coated balloon (DCB) during lower-extremity revascularization (LER) has not been previously described in a safety-net population. OBJECTIVE: To review demographic and clinical characteristics, and short- intermediate term outcomes of patients presenting to a safety-net hospital with PAD treated with DA and DCB during LER...

BACKGROUND: Myocardial muscle bridging is not uncommon; it is usually asymptomatic and on occasion can be associated with angina or even acute coronary syndrome. Traditionally, percutaneous intervention is not advocated and medical management or cardiac surgery, with unroofing of the bridge, is advised if troublesome symptoms occur. OBJECTIVE: To describe the experience and outcome of percutaneous intervention and stenting of symptomatic myocardial muscle bridges...

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions can be challenging to perform. In the present review we summarize recent publications in this rapidly evolving area grouped according to indications, outcomes, technique, and complications.

BACKGROUND: Although first-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) devices have effectively achieved their main goal of reducing restenosis, their safety has been limited by suboptimal polymer biocompatibility, delayed stent endothelialization, and local drug toxicity, which ultimately prompted the development of new-generation DES options carrying biocompatible or even biodegradable polymers. AIMS: We sought to assess the vessel-healing pattern of the novel sirolimus-eluting Inspiron DES (Scitech Medical) using serial optical coherence tomography (OCT) and assuming the hypothesis that this thin-strut (75-μm), biodegradable-polymer DES promotes a faster healing, with very early strut coverage...

A complex 15-year treatment history of a 75-year-old man with New York Heart Association class III symptoms is presented via images and video. His treatment history was noteworthy of bicuspid aortic valve (AV) and a ventricular septal defect (VSD), for which he had an AV replacement and VSD closure in 2005. In 2015, he underwent redo AV replacement and root reconstruction. Echocardiography demonstrated severe bioprosthetic AV stenosis and moderate AV regurgitation. Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement with a Sentinel cerebral protection device was recommended...

Left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion has emerged as an al- ternative to oral anticoagulation in non-valvular atrial fibril- lation. The success rate is high, but we are still facing some challenging LAA anatomies that may increase the risk of sub- optimal results. These images show that the Amplatzer steer- able sheath is useful for LAA occlusion, especially in cases with challenging anatomies. Small variations of the distal end angle can improve the success rate and reduce complications.

When dislodged stents remain on the coronary wire, the wire can be snared outside of the body (presnaring), and the snare loop advanced over the wire into the body to retrieve the stent. Presnaring may be a valuable technique to retrieve dislodged coronary stents when the stent remains on the coronary wire, as demonstrated in the 2 patients described.

Our image series show the use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the diag- nosis and treatment of a 52-year-old male who was admitted to our hospital because of inferior ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. An emergent coronary angiogram showed the total occlusion at the proximal site of the right coronary artery (RCA). IVUS revealed false lumen and intramural hematoma, as well as intimal tear at the proximal site of RCA, diagnosed as a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD)...

In this clinical image vignette, we illustrate the presentation and management of an extremely rare and lethal complica- tion of radial access percutaneous coronary intervention. We present a case of perforation of a small collateral branch of the brachiocephalic artery with subsequent mediastinal hematoma formation and stridor presentation. We suspect the perforation was probably caused by the hydrophilic-coated guidewire. After a multidisciplinary heart team discussion, a percutaneous approach was recommended...

Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffolds were designed to overcome the limitations imposed by drug-eluting stents; however, the Absorb BVS showed a 2% very late thrombosis rate. Suboptimal implantation technique has been proposed as a mechanism for the higher BVS thrombosis rate; one posthoc analysis suggested adequate pre- and postdilation in addition to proper sizing could reduce BVS thrombosis rates by 70%. This case acts as a proof of concept demonstrating advantages of BVS, namely, the ability to image the target vessel non-invasively and revascularize percutaneously or surgically if required...