A real challenge: Primary PCI on an Unprotected Left Main Coronary Culprit Lesion

Original title: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on an Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Culprit Lesion in the setting of Acute Myocardial Infarction Reference: Marije M. Vis et al. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2013;6:317–24 Acute myocardial infarction with a significantly compromised unprotected left main coronary artery culprit lesion is relatively rare (4%<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2013/04/24/a-real-challenge-primary-pci-on-an-unprotected-left-main-coronary-culprit-lesion/" title="Read more" >...</a>

Colchicine could reduce restenosis in diabetic patients treated with BMS

Original title: Colchicine Treatment for the Prevention of Bare-Metal Stent Restenosis in Diabetic Patients. Reference: Spyridon Deftereos et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2013;61:1679–85. In stent restenosis is more frequent in diabetic patients, who therefore find DES particularly beneficial. However, there is a subset of these patients with contraindication to prolonged double antiaggregation, due to a programmed surgery<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2013/04/23/colchicine-could-reduce-restenosis-in-diabetic-patients-treated-with-bms/" title="Read more" >...</a>

More evidence for drug eluting balloons in the femoropopliteal region

Original title: 2-Year Results of Paclitaxel-Eluting Balloons for Femoropopliteal Artery Disease. Evidence From a Multicenter Registry. Reference: Antonio Micari et al. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2013;6:282–9. Paclitaxel-eluting balloons appear safe and effective for treating atherosclerotic lesions in the femoropopliteal region, leaving the stent only as a rescue strategy against a suboptimal outcome. However, the vast majority of<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2013/04/20/more-evidence-for-drug-eluting-balloons-in-the-femoropopliteal-region/" title="Read more" >...</a>

IVUS improves outcomes in long lesions with DES

Original title: Randomized Comparison of Clinical Outcomes between Intravascular Ultrasound and Angiography-Guided Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation for Long Coronary Artery Stenosis. Reference: Jung-Sun Kim et al. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2013. Article in press. Treating long lesions is difficult and the chance of instant thrombosis may be higher in these lesions. Coronary intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) can help in<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2013/04/11/ivus-improves-outcomes-in-long-lesions-with-des/" title="Read more" >...</a>

The largest series of femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis to date

Original title: Treatment of Femoropopliteal In-Stent Restenosis With Paclitaxel-Eluting Stents. Zilver PTX Global Registry. ZILVER-PTX. Reference: Thomas Zeller et al. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2013;6:274–81. Femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis (ISR) is reported in between 19% and 37% of lesions a year and this incidence increases with lesion length.  The ZILVER-PTX study tested the self-expanding paclitaxel-eluting nitinol stent (Cook<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2013/04/08/the-largest-series-of-femoropopliteal-in-stent-restenosis-to-date/" title="Read more" >...</a>

Incomplete revascularization: no longer a binary variable

Original title: Residual SYNTAX score after PCI for triple vessel coronary artery disease: quantifying the adverse effect of incomplete revascularisation. Reference: Christopher J. Malkin et al. EuroIntervention 2013;8:1286-1295. In the angioplasty branch of the SYNTAX study, complete revascularization was reached in 56.7% of the population. On the other hand, in the real world, around 40% of patients that<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2013/04/05/incomplete-revascularization-no-longer-a-binary-variable/" title="Read more" >...</a>

Bioresorbable stents produce more occlusion of the small side branches

Original title: Incidence and Short-Term Clinical Outcomes of Small Side Branch Occlusion Alter Implantation of an Everolimus-Eluting Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold Reference: Takashi Muramatsu et al. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2013;6:247–57. Small Side Branch Occlusion (SBO) during coronary angioplasty has been associated with periprocedural infarction. Among the factors that cause SBO are carina displacement, plaque displacement and artery<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2013/04/04/bioresorbable-stents-produce-more-occlusion-of-the-small-side-branches/" title="Read more" >...</a>

A moderate dose of midazolam and fentanyl is effective in reducing radial spasms

Original title: Moderate Procedural Sedation and Opioid Analgesia During Transradial Coronary Interventions to Prevent Spasm. A Prospective Randomized Study. Reference: Spyridon Deftereos et al. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2013;6:267–73. The trans-radial approach has become the preferred diagnostic and therapeutic study for evidence of minor vascular complications, shorter hospital stays, less blood loss and better outcomes in acute<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2013/04/02/a-moderate-dose-of-midazolam-and-fentanyl-is-effective-in-reducing-radial-spasms/" title="Read more" >...</a>

A moderate dose of midazolam and fentanyl is effective in reducing radial spasms

Original title: Moderate Procedural Sedation and Opioid Analgesia During Transradial Coronary Interventions to Prevent Spasm. A Prospective Randomized Study. Reference: Spyridon Deftereos et al. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2013;6:267–73. The trans-radial approach has become the preferred diagnostic and therapeutic study for evidence of minor vascular complications, shorter hospital stays, less blood loss and better outcomes in acute<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2013/04/02/a-moderate-dose-of-midazolam-and-fentanyl-is-effective-in-reducing-radial-spasms-2/" title="Read more" >...</a>

Prasugrel is not as effective as Ticagrelor in acute myocardial infarction.

Original title: Comparison of Prasugrel and Ticagrelor loading doses in STEMI patients: The Rapid Activity of Platelet Inhibitor Drugs (RAPID) primary PCI Study. Reference: Guido Parodi et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2013. Article in press. Current guidelines recommend the use of prasugrel or ticagrelor in patients with ST elevation acute coronary syndromes who are due to receive<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2013/04/01/prasugrel-is-not-as-effective-as-ticagrelor-in-acute-myocardial-infarction/" title="Read more" >...</a>

Angioplasty