From November 9th to November 11th, Punta del Este received the best cardiologists in Latin America. These 3 days of intense scientific activity included the SOLACI-SUC Joint Symposium, which was composed of a structural module (with presentations on TAVI, Mitraclip, paravalvular leaks, and clinical cases) and a coronary module (with activities centered on coronary bifurcation lesions,...
There is evidence to support the use of the transradial approach to coronary angioplasty. Several randomized studies have shown reduced bleeding and vascular complications when adopted, compared against patients treated with the femoral approach. There are also studies and meta-analysis suggesting that, in the context of primary PCI, the benefit would be even bigger, with significant events...
Most literature, old and recent, associates carotid artery stenting with a higher rate of stroke (although minor) when compared with carotid endarterectomy during the acute period. However, 30-day outcomes of angioplasty and surgery are comparable. Many technical advancements, including new stent designs and different cerebral protection mechanisms, have improved the outcomes of angioplasty in clinical...
The discussion about the best anti-thrombotic strategy for patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing PCI seemed never-ending until the RE-DUAL PCI trial was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). This study has arrived to simplify the tough choice between the risk of a thrombotic event vs. the risk of bleeding with a simpler scheme, without...
Courtesy of the SBHCI. After treating the culprit lesion in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock, continuing revascularization of all other lesions worsens outcomes. This finding of the CULPRIT-SHOCK trial has changed entirely the way we treated this patient group and will surely modify guidelines. Culprit-lesion treatment with the option to perform...
Courtesy of the Brazilian Society of Hemodynamics and Interventional Cardiology (SBHCI). The SeQuent Please paclitaxel-coated balloon provides non-inferior angiographic results when compared with the Xience everolimus-eluting stent for the treatment of in-stent restenosis. At 6 months, the minimal lumen diameter was 1.71 mm in the drug-coated balloon arm and 1.74 mm in the Xience arm, a difference that...
Fentanyl is a potent opiate commonly administered in the cath lab. Recently, questions on its safety have been raised by research demonstrating that intravenous morphine significantly delays the absorption of oral P2Y12 platelet inhibitors. The mechanism might be slowed gastric emptying. The Platelet Aggregation with tiCagrelor Inhibition and FentanYl (PACIFY) trial enrolled 212 patients undergoing indicated...
Tricuspid regurgitation is frequent and mostly secondary to right ventricle and tricuspid annulus dilation. Tricuspid regurgitation has been associated to mortality increase, even though historically the importance of this valve has been disregarded compared to the other three. Tricuspid surgical repair has seen good results, but it is mostly done in the context of another valve repair. Isolated...
Courtesy of Dr. José Álvarez. This study sought to find differences in the transseptal puncture technique between the use of a conventional needle and the use of a radiofrequency-powered needle. A total of 52 patients who underwent transseptal puncture for the treatment of various types of heart disease (Mitraclip, Watchman, Lariat, and mitral valvuloplasty) were...
Courtesy of Dr. Agustín Vecchia. In the last few years, new percutaneous treatment options for mitral regurgitation have emerged. Transcatheter mitral annuloplasty with various devices is a relatively simple procedure that could compress the origin of circumflex artery branches due to the different orientation of mitral corners and the coronary sinus. The following work by Park...