Hospital-level variation in follow-up strategies after percutaneous coronary intervention, revealed in health claims data of Korea.

This study sought to determine hospital variation in the use of follow-up stress testing (FUST) and invasive coronary angiography (FUCAG) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The claims records of 150,580 Korean patients who received PCI in 128 hospitals between 2008 and 2015 were analyzed. Patient were considered to have undergone FUST and FUCAG, when these testings were performed within two years after discharge from the index hospitalization.

Predictors of an adverse clinical outcome in patients with long-term right ventricular apical pacing.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) apical pacing can result in progressive left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and contribute to the development of heart failure (HF). This study aimed to predict the outcome after long-term RV apical pacing in patients with acquired atrioventricular (AV) block who required permanent pacing.

Methods: We included 247 patients who underwent long-term (>90% ventricular pacing with atrioventricular synchrony for more than 1 year) RV apical pacing for acquired AV block.

Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Left Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation in Patients with Hereditary Ventricular Arrhythmias.

Background: Left cardiac sympathetic denervation (LCSD) has been underutilized in patients with hereditary ventricular arrhythmia syndromes such as congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT). The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) LCSD in such patients.

Methods: Fifteen patients (four men, 24.

A comparison of tissue prolapse with optical coherence tomography and intravascular ultrasound after drug-eluting stent implantation.

The aim of this study was to compare the detection rate of tissue prolapse (TP) in optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation and evaluate clinical implication of TP at 2 years after percutaneous coronary intervention. In spite of the superiority of OCT in the aspect of resolution when it was compared to IVUS, there was little data about the superiority of OCT in detecting TP. And there has been controversy about the clinical significance of TP.

Coronary artery fistula draining into the left ventricle.

We present a case of 48-year-old male who presented with coronary artery fistula draining into left ventricle. Transthoracic echocardiography showed abnormal blood flow draining into left ventricle, with enlarged coronary arteries and multiple vascular structures around ventricular myocardium. Coronary computed tomography revealed dilatation of entire left coronary artery which was wrapping around left ventricle, and draining into the posterior side of left ventricle.

Long-term outcomes of intravascular ultrasound-guided implantation of bare metal stents versus drug-eluting stents in primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background/aims: While drug-eluting stents (DESs) have shown favorable outcomes in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) compared to bare metal stents (BMSs), there are concerns about the risk of stent thrombosis (ST) with DESs. Because intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance may help optimize stent placement and improve outcomes in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients, we evaluated the impact of IVUS-guided BMS versus DES implantation on long-term outcomes in primary PCI.

Methods: In all, 239 STEMI patients received DES (n = 172) or BMS (n = 67) under IVUS guidance in primary PCI.

Impact of home-based exercise training with wireless monitoring on patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Recent studies have suggested a favorable effect of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on patients with cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of home-based exercise training with wireless monitoring on acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 55 ACS patients undergoing PCI were randomly divided into home based exercise training with wireless monitoring cardiac rehabilitation (CR, n = 26) and usual care (UC, n = 29).

Combination of uric acid and NT-ProBNP: a more useful prognostic marker for short-term clinical outcomes in patients with acute heart failure.

Background/aims: In patients with heart failure (HF), N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP) is a standard prognostic indicator. In addition, uric acid (UA) was recently established as a prognostic marker for poor outcome in chronic HF. The aim of this study was to determine the combined role of UA and NT-ProBNP as prognostic markers for short-term outcomes of acute heart failure (AHF).