In patients with left main or three-vessel coronary disease, heart team decisions on revascularization strategy (angioplasty or surgery) may be made based solely on noninvasive computerized tomography (CT) angiography, since there is great correlation between its results and those determined by conventional angiography. For the SYNTAX III REVOLUTION study, Dr. Serruys and his colleagues randomized...
EuroPCR 2018 | SCAAR Registry at 10 years: FFR improves decision making in the long term
The SCAAR registry aimed at showing the differences in mortality at very long term when using functional assessment of coronary lesions (with FFR or iFR) in patients with chronic stable angina. The study compared 3460 patients assessed with FFR/iFR against 21221 patients undergoing PCI based on angiography, between January 2005 and March 2015. As...
Reverse Myocardial Remodeling Following Valve Replacement
After aortic valve replacement, focal fibrosis does not resolve, but diffuse fibrosis and cell hypertrophy regress. As expected, this regression comes with structural and functional improvement that suggest it is a dynamic process. Fibrosis can be measured and quantified with cardiovascular MR, which makes it a potential therapeutic objective. Left ventricular hypertrophy is a key...
New FFR Measuring Device to Guide Coronary Revascularization with Our Preferred Wire
Measuring fractional flow reserve (FFR) with a 0.014 pressure wire is the standard to assess the functional significance of epicardial coronary artery stenosis. The use of FFR in the clinical practice lags despite strong supporting evidence. Some of the reasons behind this are technical aspects, like pressure wire handling limitations when assessing certain lesions, or how...
These were the 5 most read scientific articles of January
1) The 10 Commandments of ESC’s New STEMI Guidelines The authors have given an entertaining account of the most relevant points and differences between the new STEMI guidelines and the prior ones, from 2014. Read more 2) Burnout Syndrome among Cardiologists For the first time, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) has carried out a survey on this phenomenon,...
Lotus Valve in Real Life Patients: the near total lack of leaks is its greatest strength
Even though the incidence of complications in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have significantly decreased, there is one in particular that remains a concern since, when mild, it is associated to increased events rate. This complication is prosthetic paravalvular leak , which happens between the native annulus and the stent. The Lotus valve, completely repositionable, uses a...
Physiologically Assessing Intermediate Stenosis: Could FFR Be Replaced?
Fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) are commonly used to assess physiological severity of angiographically intermediate stenosis. Both indexes quantify a pressure ratio as subrogate to measuring flow, which is much harder to do. Discordance between FFR and iFR occurs in up to 20% of cases, which should not be a matter...
Durability: Evidence on TAVR and Long-Term Outcomes
Durability: Evidence on TAVR and Long-Term Outcomes. Presenters: Dr. Diego Godoy, Chile. Dr. Juan Gaspar, Uruguay. This video, sponsored and funded by Medtronic, was filmed during SOLACI-CACI 2017 Congress, at Hilton Buenos Aires Hotel (in Argentina). Do you want to take a look at all other SOLACI-CACI 2017 Congress Medtronic cases? Watch them We are interested in your opinion....
Bicuspid Aortic Valve: Considerations for a Successful Procedure
Bicuspid Aortic Valve: Considerations for a Successful Procedure. Presenters: Dr. Luis Gutierrez Jaikel, Costa Rica. Dr. Fernando Pineda, Chile. This video, sponsored and funded by Medtronic, was filmed during SOLACI-CACI 2017 Congress, at Hilton Buenos Aires Hotel (in Argentina). Do you want to take a look at all other SOLACI-CACI 2017 Congress Medtronic cases? Watch them We are interested...
Complex Cases at SOLACI-CACI 2017 Congress
Complex Cases at SOLACI-CACI 2017 Congress. Presenters: Dr. Carlos Calderas, Venezuela. Dr. Luis Gutierrez Jaikel, Costa Rica. Dr. Fernando Pineda, Chile. This video, sponsored and funded by Medtronic, was filmed during SOLACI-CACI 2017 Congress, at Hilton Buenos Aires Hotel (in Argentina). Do you want to take a look at all other SOLACI-CACI 2017 Congress Medtronic cases? Watch them We are...