Anatomical classification of chronic total occlusions in coronary bifurcations.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusions (CTO) in coronary bifurcation lesions (CBL) is undergoing substantial technical progress and standardization, paralleling the evolution of dedicated devices, tools, and techniques. A standard consensus to classify CTO-CBL might be instrumental to homogenize data collection and description of procedures for scientific and educational purposes. The Medina-CTO classification replicates the classical three digits in Medina classification for bifurcations, representing the proximal main vessel, distal main vessel, and side branch, respectively.

Optical Coherence Tomography to Assess Proximal Side Optimization Technique in Crush Stenting.

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the potential intraprocedural benefits of the Proximal Side Optimization (PSO) technique by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT).

Methods: A case series of 10 consecutive true bifurcation lesions, with severe long pathology of long side branch (SB), were randomly assigned to be treated by standard DK Crush procedure (non-PSO group) as compared to DK Crush in PSO modification (PSO group). The data from OCT investigation before crushing of the SB Drug-Eluting Stent (DES), after crushing, after first kissing balloon inflation (KBI), and after final angiography were compared between the two groups (Public trials registry ISRCTN23355755).

Proximal Side-Branch Optimization in Crush Stenting: A Step-by-Step Technical Approach in a Silicone Phantom Model.

Provisional single drug-eluting stent (DES) strategy remains the standard of care in simple bifurcation lesions which comprise the vast majority of coronary bifurcations. Nevertheless, the presence of complex bifurcations which are defined based on the 1) Side Branch (SB) lesion length of >10 mm and 2) SB ostial diameter stenosis of >70% are approached with a 2-DES strategy upfront. The bifurcation angle will further define the most appropriate technique, with T-stenting more suitable in angulations close to 90°, Culotte and the family of Crush techniques more appropriate for acute angles of <75°.

Identification of the type of stent with three-dimensional optical coherence tomography: the SPQR study.

Background: The ability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to identify specific types of stent has never been systematically studied.

Aims: The aim of this study was to test the accuracy of OCT imaging to identify patterns of stent platform and subsequently identify the type of stent implanted.

Methods: Consecutive patients from six international centres were retrospectively screened, searching for OCT studies with metallic stents or scaffolds.

Multicentre, randomized comparison of two-stent and provisional stenting techniques in patients with complex coronary bifurcation lesions: the DEFINITION II trial.

Aim: The present study aimed to assess the benefits of two-stent techniques for patients with DEFINITION criteria-defined complex coronary bifurcation lesions.

Methods And Results: In total, 653 patients with complex bifurcation lesions at 49 international centres were randomly assigned to undergo the systematic two-stent technique (two-stent group) or provisional stenting (provisional group). The primary endpoint was the composite of target lesion failure (TLF) at the 1-year follow-up, including cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (TVMI), and clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR).

Left Main Coronary Interventions: A Practical Guide.

Coronary artery bypass surgery has been the accepted treatment for left main coronary artery disease for over 50 years. Balloon angioplasty was later used then abandoned because of deaths likely due to restenosis or thrombotic occlusion. However, rapid innovations in drug-eluting stent designs leading to more biocompatible thin strut platforms with optimal drug elution profiles and further advances in modern pharmacotherapy involving potent P2Y inhibitors combined with utilization of intracoronary imaging and physiologic assessment for procedural planning and optimization have transformed percutaneous interventions into successful alternatives to coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) in selected LM anatomic territories.

Proximal Side Optimization: A Modification of the Double Kissing Crush Technique.

Coronary bifurcations with significant lesions >10 mm in the side branch (SB) are likely to require two-stent treatment techniques. To date, double kissing Crush (DK-Crush) stenting has demonstrated higher rates of final kissing balloon inflation and better clinical outcomes. The technical iterations that lead to optimal clinical outcomes have been attributed to the first kissing balloon that repairs the distorted proximal segment and fully expands the orifice of the side stent.

Angiographic demonstration of coronary dethrombosis with eptifibatide.

When dealing with acute coronary syndromes, the interventionists often go straight to balloon and stents, because they work quick and well in the majority of cases. However, it is not to forget that vigorous antithrombotic treatment is frequently highly beneficial in these settings. We report here on two clinical cases of coronary thrombosis in which we could appreciate on the angiograms the effect of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor eptifibatide alone or in conjunction with alteplase.

Effects of heart rate on phasic Y-graft blood flow and flow reserve in patients with complete arterial myocardial revascularizaton: an intravascular Doppler catheter study.

Objective: It is not well established whether the blood flow of arterial composite Y-grafts can efficiently respond to the flow demand of the coronary system early postoperatively. The aim of this study was to evaluate if soon after the operation, arterial composite Y-grafts can increase blood flow in response to an increase in myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2).

Methods: Twenty-seven patients who received complete arterial myocardial revascularization using the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) and the radial artery (RA) as composite Y-graft gave their consent to a pre-discharge coronary angiography and intravascular flow velocity measurements using a Doppler guide wire.