Recanalization of Chronically Occluded Aortocoronary Saphenous Vein Bypass Grafts With Long-Term, Low Dose Direct Infusion of Urokinase (ROBUST): a serial trial.

Objectives: This multicenter study sought to evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of prolonged, low dose, direct urokinase infusion in recanalization of chronically occluded saphenous vein bypass grafts in a large sample of patients, as well as to determine the 6-month patency rates for this procedure.

Background: Patients with chronically occluded aortocoronary vein grafts and uncontrolled angina pectoris have limited options for therapy. Previous work has shown that chronically occluded vein grafts can be recanalized by thrombolysis.

Acute results and long-term outcome of transluminal extraction catheter atherectomy for saphenous vein graft stenoses.

Distal embolization of atheroma and thrombus is a major concern when performing balloon angioplasty in coronary saphenous vein grafts (SVGs). The transluminal extraction catheter (TEC) is designed to remove this material and may improve the safety of percutaneous treatment of SVG disease. We assessed the acute results and long-term outcome of 67 patients (mean age 65.

EPA in the prevention of restenosis post PTCA.

The effect of fish oil on restenosis was evaluated in patients undergoing coronary balloon angioplasty. In addition to routine pharmacotherapy, subjects were given 2.8 g of eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) daily.

Angioplasty with streptokinase infusion of a totally occluded Dacron femoropopliteal graft.

Total occlusion of a right femoropopliteal reinforced Dacron bypass graft in a 75-year-old man was manifested by at rest right calf and foot pain. The patient was treated using a combination of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with streptokinase infusion. The graft was reopened and dilated successfully, resulting in total abatement of the patient's symptoms.

Subclavian artery stenosis treated by transluminal angioplasty: six cases.

Transluminal angioplasty (TLA) has been used in six patients with subclavian artery stenosis admitted to a large community hospital. Five patients had lesions proximal to the origin of the left vertebral artery, three of whom had angiographic evidence of subclavian steal syndrome. In all six, arteries were successfully dilated with only one complication of a hematoma at an arteriotomy site.

Cardiac amyloidosis in hereditary neuropathic amyloidosis diagnosed by endomyocardial biopsy.

A 57 year old male first developed progressive neuropathy of the lower extremities and then similar involvement in the upper extremities. Two years later he developed dyspnea and then complete atrioventricular block requiring the use of a permanent cardiac pacemaker. An older brother had an almost identical clinical course, including the installation of a permanent pacemaker.