The impact of diabetes on the development of cardiovascular disease is widely known, with a strong association with extensive and diffuse coronary artery disease. Decision-making regarding how to revascularize patients with multi-vessel disease is a complex process. In this context, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been recommended over percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) based on...
In last few years, transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) with MitraClip has been shown safe and effective, both for primary and secondary mitral valve regurgitation (MR), given the increasing interventionist and echocardiographer experience. However, there is a group of patients that require surgery after failed TEER, either because of bad evolution or because device implantation...
There are many current randomized trials comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with myocardial revascularization surgery (MRS) for the treatment of left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD). In the European Society of Cardiology guidelines, PCI is classified as Ia (LMCAD with low-complexity coronary disease) or IIa indication (intermediate complexity), whereas, according to the American Heart Association...
The BEST study was a prospective, randomized study to compare percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with everolimus-eluting stents vs. myocardial revascularization surgery (MRS) in patients with multivessel disease. The analysis was interrupted early due to slow patient inclusion. The study included 880 patients, who were randomized 438 to the PCI arm and 442 to the MRS arm....
There are increasingly more patients who have undergone transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and require a non-cardiac intervention, or patients with other diseases who need surgery and are diagnosed with aortic stenosis. In addition, on many occasions, surgery must be performed as soon as possible (as in cases of cancer) or is an emergency procedure....
For lesions in the common femoral artery, guidelines recommend surgical endarterectomy (TEA) as the gold standard. However, endovascular therapy (EVT) is an alternative option for these lesions. In 2017 the first randomized study comparing TEA vs EVT was carried out, showing that EVT presents clinical benefits, though it does not replace surgical treatment as first...
When compared against surgical valve replacement (SAVR) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has shown benefits across different risk groups, not only in events as death and stroke, but also in quality of life (especially in the first months post procedure) and improved symptoms. However, a catch-up phenomenon was observed in low-risk patients between the first...
According to this new meta-analysis (presented at AHA 2021 and published in The Lancet), mortality is similar between surgery and angioplasty to treat left main coronary artery in patients with simple or intermediate anatomy. This new study estimates that, after 5 years, mortality with surgery would be 11.2% vs. 10.2% with angioplasty, a non-significant difference. This debate...
The Valve in Valve (ViV) technique seems to be a better option than repeat surgery for failed aortic bioprosthesis. While this strategy lacks long-term evidence to address issues such as durability, it is considered as an option especially for young patients. ViV to treat failed surgical bioprosthesis has shown lower in-hospital mortality compared with repeat...
According to this recent document by the American Heart Association (AHA), troponin should be monitored for at least 3 days after surgery. With about 20% of patients (most of them, asymptomatic) showing elevated troponin after a non-cardiac surgery, this new AHA document recommends monitoring, for at least two days, patients with moderate to severe ischemia. Myocardial...