In the field of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and myocardial revascularization surgery (MRS), previous analyses have shown a link between in-hospital and 30-day complications, in terms of complicated progress and/or mortality. Most of this information comes from non-randomized or old studies, which translates into contradictory data. Researchers analyzed the EXCEL study, which included patients with…
Left Main Revascularization: 12 Year Registry in Canada
The current indication for severe left main lesion continues to be coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) but percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has come far in this territory thanks to increasing operator experienced and the use of IVUS during procedures. At present, left main disease have a Class IIa indication in the American guidelines when…
Long-Term Evolution of Hybrid Coronary Revascularization
Currently, myocardial revascularization surgery (MRS) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are the available strategies for multivessel coronary artery disease. However, an alternative strategy has long been developed, called hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR), where the anterior descending artery is bypassed with a graft from the mammary artery and the rest of the lesions are treated by…
Hybrid Coronary Revascularization: A Valid Option?
In this article, we will examine the use of hybrid coronary revascularization to treat multivessel coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in the western world. The presence of multivessel CAD is associated to high short and midterm mortality and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is…
Long-Term Mortality in Non-Obstructive Lesions in the Left Main Coronary Artery
Left main coronary artery (LMCA) intervention with significant lesions on both coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), either through angioplasty (PCI) or myocardial revascularization surgery (MRS), is directly related to a decrease in long-term adverse clinical events. However, the relationship between subclinical LMCA disease (preserved luminal diameters) and long-term mortality is still unknown. A retrospective…
Is TCA Useful for Severe Impairment of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction?
Heart disease is the most frequent cause of heart failure and, in some observational studies, transluminal coronary angioplasty (TCA) could help improve ventricular function. The only major randomized study to compare myocardial revascularization surgery (MRS) vs. medical treatment in patients with ventricular function impairment was the STICH study, which showed no difference at 5 years,…
PCI on Native Arteries or Saphenous Vein Grafts: Which Has Better Prognosis?
New revascularization after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is often needed, be it because of severe bridge lesion, intimal hyperplasia, thrombosis, atherosclerosis, or native vessel lesion progression. We therefore need to determine the best revascularization strategy, namely native or graft percutaneous intervention, venous or arterial, or repeat surgery, with the risk it entails. There is…
EuroPCR 2022 | Changes in Cardiac Damage after Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement
This study presented at EuroPCR 2022 analyzed the PARTNER study pool and included 1974 patients with a complete echocardiogram. Surgical risk was 17.3% extreme/inoperable, 54.3% intermediate and 28.4% low. 60% received transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and the rest surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). 6.1% of patients were in stage 0 (no damage), 14.5% were…
Low Risk Patients: TAVR with Self-Expanding Valves Offers Similar Outcomes to Surgery Based on a Bayesian Analysis?
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…
AHA 2021 | Meta-Analysis of Surgery vs. Angioplasty in Left Main Coronary Artery Disease
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…