Impact of proctoring on success rates for percutaneous revascularisation of coronary chronic total occlusions.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of proctoring for chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in six UK centres. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 587 CTO procedures from six UK centres and compared success rates of operators who had received proctorship with success rates of the same operators before proctorship (pre-proctored) and operators in the same institutions who had not been proctored (non-proctored). There were 232 patients in the pre-proctored/non-proctored group and 355 patients in the post-proctored group. Complexity was assessed by calculating the Japanese CTO (JCTO) score for each case. RESULTS: CTO PCI success was greater in the post-proctored compared with the pre-proctored/non-proctored group (77.5% vs 62.1%, p<0.0001). In more complex cases where JCTO≥2, the difference in success was greater (70.7% vs 49.5%, p=0.0003). After proctoring, there was an increase in CTO PCI activity in centres from 2.5% to 3.5%, p<0.0001 (as a proportion of total PCI), and the proportion of very difficult cases with JCTO score ≥3 increased from 15.3% (35/229) to 29.7% (105/354), p<0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: Proctoring resulted in an increase in procedural success for CTO PCI, an increase in complex CTO PCI and an increase in total CTO PCI activity. Proctoring may be a valuable way to improve access to CTO PCI and the likelihood of procedural success

Tolerability of Bisoprolol on Domiciliary Spirometry in COPD

We investigated if serial domiciliary measures of spirometry were sensitive at detecting subtle effects of beta-2 blockade associated with bisoprolol in (n = 17) patients with COPD. After a two-week run in on inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long acting beta-2 agonist (LABA): beclometasone/formoterol 100/6 µg, patients' started additional a long acting muscarinic receptor antagonist: (LAMA) Tiotropium 18 µg, with concomitant weekly dose titration of bisoprolol: 1.25-2.5-5 mg. After a further week of bisoprolol 5 mg, they were stepped back down to (ICS/LABA) for one week. Mean age was 64 years, mean FEV1 52% predicted, and mean FEV1/FVC ratio of 0.46. Compared to baseline am FEV1 of 1.38 L (95% CI 1.14-1.61 L), both ICS/LABA/LAMA and ICS/LABA in conjunction with bisoprolol showed statistically significant mean falls of 100 ml (1.28 L, 95% CI 1.03-1.53 L), and 120 ml, respectively (1.26 L, 95% CI 1.01-1.51 L); equalling and exceeding the MCID of 100 ml, respectively. These changes were disconnected from symptoms, reliever use and oxygen saturation.</p

Comparison of Characteristics and Complications in Men Versus Women Undergoing Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Intervention

Gender differences exist in clinical outcomes after routine percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but studies reporting such outcomes after chronic total occlusion (CTO) PCI are limited. We assessed the characteristics and outcomes of female patients undergoing CTO PCI. We retrospectively analyzed a dedicated national (United Kingdom) prospective CTO database from 2011 to 2015 for outcomes and characteristics of female patients undergoing CTO PCI (unmatched and propensity matched). Female patients constituted 20.5% (n = 260 of 1,271) of the unmatched cohort and 33.3% (n = 233 of 699) of the matched cohort and were more likely to be older (women aged >70 years, 48% in the unmatched and 45% in the matched cohort). An increased inhospital complication rate was observed in female patients (unmatched: 10% women vs 4.45% men, p = 0.0012, and matched 9.87% women vs 3.86% men, p = 0.0032). Coronary perforation, bleeding, and contrast-induced nephropathy were more frequently observed in female patients. Femoral access site with >6 French sheath was associated with an increased risk of bleeding. Presence of calcification in the CTO artery was associated with coronary perforation (grade III) in female patients in the matched cohort (p = 0.007). Female patients undergoing CTO PCI were older and experienced increased of inhospital complications. Increased awareness of these complications could influence the selection of access site and sheath size, the need for prehydration, judicious choice of balloon size, collateral selection, and wire placement in female patients undergoing CTO PCI

Coronary revascularization in patients with left ventricle systolic dysfunction, current challenges and clinical outcomes

Copyright: \ua9 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press. This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. The effects of coronary revascularization in patients with left ventricle systolic dysfunction (LVSD) are not well studied. The decision about revascularization and its timing remain challenging, not only related to procedural risk, but also linked to other several limitations including assessment of ischemia, viability, and ability to predict LV recovery. The role of viability as a prognostic marker for patients with LVSD and its use as a therapeutic target remains debatable. In this article, we will review the role of LVSD in patients undergoing coronary revascularization alongside the role of ischemia and viability assessment. We will provide a review of the literature on the outcomes of coronary revascularization, both surgically and percutaneously, in patients with LVSD

Antithrombotic Therapy in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease: Navigating Efficacy and Safety

\ua9 2025 by the authors.Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis. This paper examines the challenges of managing acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in ESRD patients, focusing on the delicate balance between thrombotic and bleeding risks. The review explores the mechanisms underlying the increased thrombotic risk in ESRD, including elevated platelet aggregation, endothelial dysfunction, and alterations in coagulation factors. Paradoxically, ESRD patients also exhibit higher bleeding tendencies due to platelet dysfunction and other uremia-related factors. The efficacy and safety of various antiplatelet therapies, including aspirin and P2Y12 inhibitors, are evaluated in this population. While potent P2Y12 inhibitors such as ticagrelor and prasugrel have demonstrated potential in reducing ischemic events, they are associated with an increased bleeding risk. The optimal duration of anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) in ESRD patients remains controversial, with studies suggesting potential benefits of prolonged DAPT but also increased bleeding risk. This review underscores the necessity for further research and patient inclusion in clinical trials to establish evidence-based guidelines for tailoring antithrombotic therapy in this high-risk population

Clinical Outcomes Following Atherectomy of Calcified Left Main Coronary

Copyright \ua9 2025 Mohamed Farag et al. Journal of Interventional Cardiology published by John Wiley &amp; Sons Ltd.Introduction: Plaque modifying-debulking devices are the most effective initial strategy for percutaneous coronary intervention of severely calcified lesions including left main coronary artery. There are limited data comparing the short- and long-term clinical outcomes of these devices in left main lesions. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with calcified left main lesions treated with percutaneous intervention with adjunctive plaque modifying device at a large tertiary center between 2008 and 2021. The primary endpoint was long-term mortality at documented longest follow-up. Secondary endpoints included procedural complications and in-hospital clinical outcome. Results: A total of 302 patients with calcified left main lesions treated with rotational atherectomy (RA) (n = 240), intracoronary lithotripsy (n = 30), or excimer laser coronary atherectomy (n = 32) were included. Out of all patients, 55% presented with acute coronary syndromes. Technical success was achieved in 98.7% of the patients and procedural success was achieved in 95.4% of the patients. At a median follow-up of 42 (19–62) months, there was no difference in mortality between the 3 devices (RA 54/240 [23.4%] vs. lithotripsy 1/30 [3.3%] vs. laser 5/32 [15.6%], p = 0.128). Likewise, in-hospital clinical outcomes were similar. However, procedural complications were higher in the laser group. Conclusions: In patients with calcified left main lesions treated with percutaneous intervention, adjunctive plaque-modifying devices appear safe with survival exceeding 80% at long-term follow-up with no difference between the devices in relation to in-hospital clinical outcomes or long-term mortality risk

Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty Prior to Self-Expanding TAVI: The BAVSE-TAVI Registry

\ua9 2025 The Author(s). Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.Background: Direct transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) approach is feasible and safe compared to predilatation-TAVI. Certain clinical and computerized tomography (CT)-based characteristics might indicate the need for balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) before TAVI, especially with self-expanding valves. Aims: We aimed to identify patients who require predilatation before TAVI. Methods and Results: We performed a retrospective, single-center study between 2020 and 2024, enrolling 315 patients (predilatation = 158 vs. direct = 157) aged 81 \ub1 6 years, 43.5% male, with EuroSCORE II of 3.7 \ub1 2.9. The rate of predilatation increased over the study period and was performed more often in patients with higher velocity and pressure gradients on echocardiography, higher aortic valve calcium score on CT, bicuspid morphology, bigger aortic annulus anatomy, severe aortic cusp calcification, tortuous descending aorta (bend &gt; 60\ub0), and horizontal ascending aorta (angle &gt; 50\ub0). Direct implantation was performed more frequently in patients with permanent pacemaker, ischemic heart disease, concomitant significant aortic regurgitation, or alternative-access TAVI. Regression analysis demonstrated that only the horizontal aorta was an independent predictor of predilatation (p = 0.037). The rates of valve recapture, embolization, contrast use, procedure duration, hospital stay, inpatient death, stroke, significant paravalvular leak on postprocedural echocardiography, and new pacemaker implantation were not different between the groups. The rate of BARC ≥ 3 bleeding, mainly due to access-site complications, was more frequent with direct-TAVI compared to predilatation (6.4% vs. 0.6%; p = 0.005). Conclusions: Both predilatation and direct-TAVI approaches can be safely performed in routine practice. Upfront selection of either approach based on the patient characteristics, echocardiography gradients, and CT anatomical features is recommended