At present, most percutaneous coronary intervention procedures (PCI) are done with drug eluting stents (DES). However, drug coated balloons (DCB) have shown benefits in restenosis and small vessel de novo lesions. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has been shown effective in left main PCI and complex procedures, even though there is little infomration on its use for<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2024/06/12/coronary-angioplasty-with-sirolimus-eluting-stents/" title="Read more" >...</a>
The presence of calcification in the coronary arteries (CAC) remains the main challenge in the percutaneous treatment of these lesions. Various studies have demonstrated the association of CAC with unfavorable long-term outcomes. Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) has emerged as an effective tool for fracturing calcified plaques. Studies evaluating this strategy have shown high device success rates,<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2024/05/28/replica-epica-18-registry-using-ivl-in-calcified-coronary-lesions/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Nowadays, evidence from studies and meta-analyses has demonstrated the benefits of complete revascularization compared to culprit-vessel-only revascularization in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The identification and treatment of non-culprit lesions can be guided by conventional angiography, intracoronary imaging, or coronary physiology; the optimal modality, however, is still unclear. Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2024/05/22/functional-assessment-using-qfr-for-the-revascularization-of-non-culprit-lesions-in-ami-patients/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Despite primary angioplasty, many patients with ST elevation acute myocardial infarction with (STEMI) show evidence of microvascular dysfunction. This dysfunction can be characterized by two main factors: A new specific index has recently been identified to assess microcirculation called microvascular resistance reserve (MRR), which allows measuring vasodilatory capacity independent of the epicardium. The purpose of<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2024/05/17/europcr-2024-prognostic-value-of-mrr-in-stemi-group-analysis-of-individual-patients/" title="Read more" >...</a>
For years, treating dyslipidemia mainly focused on reducing LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) with statins, which had shown benefits in reducing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a form of apoB-containing lipoprotein bound to a hydrophilic, highly glycosylated protein called apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)]. Circulating levels of Lp(a) are genetically determined, and are hardly affected by eating habits<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2024/04/30/lpa-30-year-cardiovascular-followup-in-primary-prevention-cohorts/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Extracranial carotid artery disease represents 15 to 20% of all strokes. Carotid revascularization plays a role in primary and secondary prevention of cerebrovascular events. Outcomes of two common revascularization strategies, Carotid endarterectomy (CAE) and carotid artery stenting (CAS), have been studied and compared. In recent years, complications associated to CAS have dropped thanks to technical<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2024/04/24/carotid-endarterectomy-vs-carotid-angioplasty-in-symptomatic-and-asymptomatic-patients-30-day-outcomes/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Transcatheter aortic valve intervention (TAVI) has been shown beneficial over the years. However, a significant subgroup of patients with small aortic annulus, which make approximately one third of cases and have a higher incidence in women, face additional challenge, such as higher incidence of mismatch, reduced exercise capacity and shorter durability. Self-expanding and balloon expandable<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2024/04/19/smart-trial-what-is-the-best-valve-for-small-annuli/" title="Read more" >...</a>
On the one hand, chronic peripheral vascular disease is on the rise. On the other, over the past 20 years, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has gained considerable ground thanks to various new devices, replacing surgery as an alternative in most scenarios. Both strategies have shown similar results, but PCI has fewer complications and shorter hospital stays.<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2024/04/18/peripheral-vascular-disease-our-reality-in-latin-america-with-the-latam-solaci-peripheral-registry/" title="Read more" >...</a>
The presence of calcification in coronary arteries (CAC) remains a challenge for the percutaneous treatment of these lesions. Several studies have established the link between CAC and poor long term results. Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) has surged as a tool to induce calcified plaque fracture. Even though studies on this strategy are not randomized, they have<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2024/03/13/use-of-ivl-in-calcified-coronary-lesions-in-a-real-world-population/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Complementary imaging allows for the identification of numerous scenarios not visible with conventional angiography (ICA), both for the assessment of differential diagnoses and the improvement of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) outcomes. Advantages include assessment of plaque characteristics, vessel plaque burden, stent edge dissection, vessel diameter, and correct apposition, among others. While intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) was<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2024/02/28/network-meta-analysis-of-complementary-imaging-ivus-oct-conventional-angiography-for-coronary-stenting/" title="Read more" >...</a>