Minimally invasive surgical versus transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A multicenter study.

Objectives: Treatment of aortic valve stenosis is evolving, indications for transcatheter approach (TAVI) have increased but also surgical valve replacement has changed with the use of minimally invasive approaches. Comparisons between TAVI and surgery have rarely been done with minimally invasive techniques (mini-SAVR) in the surgical arm. Aim of the present study is to compare mini-SAVR and TAVI in a multicenter recent cohort.

Impact of sex on comparative outcomes of bivalirudin versus unfractionated heparin in patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing invasive management: a pre-specified analysis of the MATRIX trial.

Aims: Our aim was to assess whether bivalirudin compared with unfractionated heparin (UFH) is associated with consistent outcomes in males and females with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing invasive management.

Methods And Results: In the MATRIX programme, 7,213 patients were randomised to bivalirudin or UFH. Patients in the bivalirudin group were subsequently randomly assigned to receive or not a post-PCI bivalirudin infusion.

2-Year Results of Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons for Long Femoropopliteal Artery Disease: Evidence From the SFA-Long Study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to appraise 2-year outcomes after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of long femoropopliteal artery disease using paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCBs).

Background: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with PCBs for TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus types C and D femoropopliteal artery disease has provided favorable results ≤12 months but no prospective studies performed longer term follow-up assessment.

Methods: Consecutive patients with Rutherford class 2 to 4 disease due to femoropopliteal lesions >15 cm long were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter study.

Bivalirudin or unfractionated heparin in patients with acute coronary syndromes managed invasively with and without ST elevation (MATRIX): randomised controlled trial.

Objective:  To test the optimal antithrombotic regimen in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Design:  Randomised controlled trial.

Setting:  Patients with acute coronary syndrome with and without ST segment elevation in 78 centres in Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden.

Early and mid-term outcomes of 1904 patients undergoing transcatheter balloon-expandable valve implantation in Italy: results from the Italian Transcatheter Balloon-Expandable Valve Implantation Registry (ITER).

Objectives: The aim of this multicentre study is to report the clinical experiences of all patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with a balloon-expandable device in Italy.

Methods: The Italian Transcatheter balloon-Expandable valve Registry (ITER) is a real-world registry that includes patients who have undergone TAVI with the Sapien (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) bioprosthesis in Italy since it became available in clinical practice. From 2007 to 2012, 1904 patients were enrolled to undergo TAVI in 33 Italian centres.

1-Year Results of Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons for Long Femoropopliteal Artery Disease: Evidence From the SFA-Long Study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to appraise 1-year outcomes after percutaneous treatment of long femoropopliteal artery disease using paclitaxel-coated balloons.

Background: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with paclitaxel-coated balloons for TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus types A and B femoropopliteal artery disease has provided favorable results.

Methods: Consecutive patients with Rutherford class 2 to 4 disease due to femoropopliteal lesions >15 cm long and with 4- to 7-mm reference vessel diameter were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter study.

Emergency coronary and peripheral arteries combined with percutaneous intervention in the elderly: success or therapeutic excess?

Acute lower extremities peripheral artery disease represents a clinical emergency. Peripheral artery disease incidence ranges from 2.5 to 22% and has progressively increased due to the world population aging phenomenon and associates with coronary artery disease with a rate of 40-60%.

2-year results of paclitaxel-eluting balloons for femoropopliteal artery disease: evidence from a multicenter registry.

Objectives: This study aimed to appraise 2-year outcomes after percutaneous treatment of femoropopliteal artery disease with paclitaxel-eluting balloons.

Background: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with paclitaxel-eluting balloons for femoropopliteal artery disease has provided favorable 1-year results.

Methods: Consecutive patients with Rutherford class 2 to 4 disease due to femoropopliteal lesions ≤15 mm long and with 3- to 7-mm reference vessel diameter were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter registry.

Clinical evaluation of a paclitaxel-eluting balloon for treatment of femoropopliteal arterial disease: 12-month results from a multicenter Italian registry.

Objectives: This study evaluated the use of a paclitaxel-eluting balloon (PEB) for treatment of femoropopliteal arterial disease.

Background: Conventional balloon angioplasty and stenting in this setting is associated with high restenosis rates within 12 months. Recent data suggest that PEB use may reduce restenosis.

Safety, efficacy and long-term durability of endovascular therapy for carotid artery disease: the tailored-Carotid Artery Stenting Experience of a single high-volume centre (tailored-CASE Registry).

Aims: We aimed to determine the success, safety and long-term durability of carotid artery stenting (CAS) in stroke prevention for all-comers managed with mandatory neuroprotection and a tailored-approach to intervention.

Methods And Results: From our CAS registry (beginning July 1997) all procedures up to September 2007 with intention-to-treat by stenting under distal filter or proximal occlusion neuroprotection devices were analysed (N=1523; mean age 72 years [237 >or=80 years, 15.5%]).

Patient selection to enhance the long-term benefit of first generation drug-eluting stents for coronary revascularisation procedures. Insights from a large multicentre registry.

Aims: To evaluate the long-term clinical outcome after drug-eluting stents (DES) implantation, and to test if patient selection could enhance their net clinical benefit.

Methods And Results: We assessed the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE=death, acute myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularisation, TVR) and angiographic stent thrombosis (ST) during 3-year follow-up in a prospective multicentre registry. Propensity-score analysis to adjust for different clinical, angiographic and procedural characteristics was performed.

Stent migration as a late complication following carotid angioplasty and stenting.

Background: A 69-year-old male patient with severe asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis was treated percutaneously with implant of two self-expandable stents in the right carotid overlapped to each other by 5 mm. The 15-month follow-up colour-Doppler ultrasound (CDU) revealed a severe stenosis in the target vessel and an image suggesting migration of the distal stent.

Investigations: Physical examination, laboratory test, CDU, carotid angiography, quantitative carotid angiography (QCA), brain computed tomography (CT).

Endovascular treatment of soft carotid plaques: a single-center carotid stent experience.

Purpose: To report a prospective evaluation of the 30-day clinical neurological outcome in patients percutaneously treated for severe symptomatic and asymptomatic soft echolucent carotid plaques under cerebral protection from a proximal flow blockade system.

Methods: From December 2001 to February 2005, 84 consecutive patients (63 men; mean age 70.7 +/- 7.

Impact of cerebral protection devices on early outcome of carotid stenting.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of cerebral protection devices on the procedural safety and outcome of carotid stent procedures.

Methods: From June 1997 to July 2001, 275 consecutive patients (208 men; mean age 71 +/- 7.4 years) underwent percutaneous angioplasty and/or stenting of the extracranial carotid artery.