Rationale and Design of the Latin-American Registry of Peripheral Interventions: Insights From SOLACI Peripheral.

Background: Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) represents the most advanced stage of lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). The aim of this manuscript is to provide an overview of the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with lower-limb peripheral artery disease, as well as the procedural and technical aspects of peripheral endovascular interventions in Latin-America.

Methods: The SOLACI peripheral registry is a prospective, multi-center, observational, and hospital-based registry of patients with lower-limb PAD, who are treated with endovascular interventions across Latin American countries.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches in the Management of Infrapopliteal Arterial Disease.

Chronic limb-threatening ischemia represents end-stage peripheral artery disease. It is underdiagnosed; it relies on clinical symptoms and traditional noninvasive tests, which significantly underestimate the severity of disease. Innovative techniques, approaches, technologies, and risk-assessment tools have significantly improved our ability to treat these patients and to better understand their complex disease process.

Tibiopedal arterial minimally invasive retrograde revascularization (TAMI) in patients with peripheral arterial disease and critical limb ischemia. On behalf of the Peripheral Registry of Endovascular Clinical Outcomes (PRIME).

Objectives And Background: Complex peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and critical limb ischemia (CLI) are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Endovascular techniques have become prevalent in treatment of advanced PAD and CLI, and use of techniques such as tibiopedal minimally invasive revascularization (TAMI), have been proven safe in small, single-center series. However, its use has not been systematically compared to traditional approaches.

Chronic Total Occlusion Crossing Approach Based on Plaque Cap Morphology: The CTOP Classification.

Purpose: To present the chronic total occlusion (CTO) crossing approach based on plaque cap morphology (CTOP) classification system and assess its ability to predict successful lesion crossing.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of imaging and procedure data from 114 consecutive symptomatic patients (mean age 69±11 years; 84 men) with claudication (Rutherford category 3) or critical limb ischemia (Rutherford category 4-6) who underwent endovascular interventions for 142 CTOs. CTO cap morphology was determined from a review of angiography and duplex ultrasonography and classified into 4 types (I, II, III, or IV) based on the concave or convex shape of the proximal and distal caps.

Precise Retrograde Supera Stenting of the Ostium (PRESTO) of the Superficial Femoral Artery for Complex Femoropopliteal Occlusions: The PRESTO Technique.

Purpose: To describe a novel technique designed to safely and precisely deploy the Supera stent accurately at the ostium of the proximal superficial femoral artery (SFA) without compromising the profunda and common femoral arteries.

Technique: After antegrade crossing of the chronic total occlusion (CTO) at the SFA ostium and accurate predilation of the entire SFA lesion, a retrograde arterial access is obtained. The Supera stent is navigated in retrograde fashion to position the first crown to be released just at the SFA ostium.

Drug-coated balloon angioplasty for the management of recurring infrapopliteal disease in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia.

Objective: To describe the 1-year outcomes of recurring infrapopliteal disease after endovascular revascularization with the Lutonix drug-coated balloons (LDCB) in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), and to benchmark our findings with previously published objective performance goals (OPG) addressing safety and efficacy of new catheter-based therapies for CLI.

Methods: The present study was a retrospective, single-center, and single-arm trial of symptomatic diabetic patients with CLI, who underwent LDCB-angioplasty for recurring infrapopliteal disease. Acute procedural and technical success were recorded.

Innovations in the Endovascular Management of Critical Limb Ischemia: Retrograde Tibiopedal Access and Advanced Percutaneous Techniques.

Purpose Of Review: Retrograde tibiopedal access and interventions have contributed to advance of endovascular techniques to treat critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients. This review encompasses the spectrum from advanced diagnostic imaging and technical therapeutic approaches for infrapopliteal occlusions, to a discussion of current standards and future directions.

Recent Findings: Contemporary studies of infrapopliteal angioplasty show suboptimal short-term and 1-year clinical outcomes.

Lack of Association Between Limb Hemodynamics and Response to Infrapopliteal Endovascular Therapy in Patients With Critical Limb Ischemia.

Background: Non-invasive limb hemodynamics may aid in diagnosis of critical limb ischemia (CLI), although the relationship with disease severity and response to endovascular therapy is unclear.

Methods And Results: This prospective, single-center study enrolled 100 CLI patients (Rutherford class 4-6) who underwent infrapopliteal endovascular revascularization (175 lesions) in the Peripheral RegIstry of Endovascular Clinical OutcoMEs (PRIME) registry. Hemodynamic measures included ankle-brachial index (ABI), toe-brachial index (TBI), and toe pressure (TP).

Infrapopliteal calcification patterns in critical limb ischemia: diagnostic, pathologic and therapeutic implications in the search for the endovascular holy grail.

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) represents the terminal stage of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and is characterized by multilevel and multivessel disease. Amongst patients with infrainguinal disease, approximately one third have predominantly isolated infrapopliteal disease and the remaining two thirds, a combination of femoropopliteal and infrapopliteal disease. Isolated infrapopliteal disease is mainly seen in the elderly, diabetic, or dialysis-dependent patients.

Management of Patients on Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants in the Acute Care and Periprocedural Setting: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are now widely used as alternatives to warfarin for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation and management of venous thromboembolism. In clinical practice, there is still widespread uncertainty on how to manage patients on NOACs who bleed or who are at risk for bleeding. Clinical trial data related to NOAC reversal for bleeding and perioperative management are sparse, and recommendations are largely derived from expert opinion.

Feasibility and 1-Year outcomes of subintimal revascularization with supera stenting of long femoropopliteal occlusions in critical limb ischemia: The "Supersub" Study.

Background: Stent-based revascularization of long femoro-popliteal (FP) lesions has been mainly studied in claudicants and compromised by restenosis and stent fractures. The Supera stent's biomimetic design allows enhanced fracture resistance. Data for Supera stenting to treat long chronic total occlusions (CTOs) in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), are scarce.

Ultrasound-Guided Arterial Access: Outcomes Among Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease and Critical Limb Ischemia Undergoing Peripheral Interventions.

Objective: Arterial cannulation is a vital component of endovascular interventions and often unconventional access approaches are required due to disease complexity. Historically, varying maneuvers have been utilized to obtain arterial access. Lack of consensus exists regarding the safest and most effective method.

Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty in Patients With Infrapopliteal Arterial Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Contemporary outcomes of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for the treatment of infrapopliteal atherosclerotic lesions are not well characterized. Hence, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to determine the safety and effectiveness of this approach in patients with advanced below-the-knee arterial disease.

Methods And Results: MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for contemporary studies (2005-2015) on the effects of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for the treatment of infrapopliteal lesions.

Automated Carbon Dioxide Angiography for the Evaluation and Endovascular Treatment of Diabetic Patients With Critical Limb Ischemia.

Purpose: To test the safety, efficacy, and diagnostic accuracy of automated carbon dioxide (CO2) angiography (ACDA) for the evaluation of diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) and baseline renal insufficiency and compare ACDA with iodinated contrast medium (ICM) during endovascular treatment.

Methods: From November 2014 to January 2015, 36 consecutive diabetic patients (mean age 74.8±5.

Systematic Review of Guidelines for the Management of Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Carotid Stenosis.

Background And Purpose: We systematically compared and appraised contemporary guidelines on management of asymptomatic and symptomatic carotid artery stenosis.

Methods: We systematically searched for guideline recommendations on carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid angioplasty/stenting (CAS) published in any language between January 1, 2008, and January 28, 2015. Only the latest guideline per writing group was selected.

Management of Infrapopliteal Arterial Disease: Critical Limb Ischemia.

According to the TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus Document on Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease, "there is increasing evidence to support a recommendation for angioplasty in patients with critical limb ischemia and infrapopliteal artery occlusion." Management of infrapopliteal artery disease starts with diagnosis using modern preprocedural noninvasive and invasive imaging. Interventionalists need to learn the role of chronic total occlusion cap analysis and collateral zone recognition in angiosome-directed interventions for management of critical limb ischemia and be familiar with equipment and device selection and a stepwise approach for endovascular interventions.