Publications by authors named "Max M Meertens"

Background: Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are often pretreated with unfractionated heparin (UFH) before a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). UFH pretreatment is intended to lessen the thrombotic burden, but there have been conflicting study findings on its safety and efficacy. We assessed the risks and benefits of UFH pretreatment with a retrospective analysis of registry data from the STEMI network of a German metropolitan region.

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Article Synopsis
  • Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) via transfemoral access is becoming more common in treating aortic valve disease, though access-related vascular complications still affect about 10% of procedures.
  • This study analyzed patients from Dutch and German hospitals who underwent TF-TAVI between 2017 and 2021, focusing on those who had occlusive complications (OC) versus hemorrhagic complications (HC) requiring further intervention.
  • Results showed that patients with OC had significantly smaller arterial diameters compared to those with HC, while those with HC had a higher tortuosity index, highlighting the need for careful preoperative imaging to tailor prevention strategies.
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Background: Left ventricular thrombus (LVT) is associated with high rates of systemic embolism. Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) are the only approved treatment for LVT. Although evidence suggests direct oral anticoagulant (DOACs) to be at least equally effective in general, the efficacy of individual DOACs remains unclear.

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Chronic total occlusion (CTO) is a prevalent finding in patients with coronary artery disease and is associated with increased mortality. Prior reports on the efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared to optimal medical therapy (OMT) were controversial. Following the emergence of recently published new evidence, a meta-analysis is warranted.

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Background: In patients not suitable for transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), several access strategies can be chosen.

Aim: To evaluate the use and patient outcomes of transaxillary (TAx), transapical (TA), and transaortic (TAo) as alternative access for TAVI in Germany; to further evaluate surgical cutdown vs. percutaneous TAx access.

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Background: Guidelines on myocardial infarction (MI) recommend antithrombotic and anticoagulatory treatment at time of diagnosis. MI with ST segment elevation (STEMI) is mostly a certain diagnosis. Acute coronary syndrome without ST segment elevation (NSTE-ACS) has diagnostic uncertainty and remains a working diagnosis in the prehospital setting.

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Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has a high prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease and total coronary occlusion. Consequently, these patients are frequently loaded with antiplatelets and anticoagulants before hospital arrival. However, OHCA patients have multiple non-cardiac causes and high susceptibility for bleeding.

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Background: The optimal access route in patients with severe peripheral artery disease (PAD) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remains undetermined.

Objectives: This study sought to compare clinical outcomes with transfemoral access (TFA), transthoracic access (TTA), and nonthoracic transalternative access (TAA) in TAVR patients with severe PAD.

Methods: Patients with PAD and hostile femoral access (TFA impossible, or possible only after percutaneous treatment) undergoing TAVR at 28 international centers were included in this registry.

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Background: Incidence and mortality of cardiogenic shock (CS) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remain high despite substantial therapy improvements in acute percutaneous coronary intervention over the last decades. Unloading the left ventricle in patients with Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) can be performed by using an intra-aortic balloon pumps' (IABP) afterload reduction, which might be especially beneficial in AMI patients with CS.

Objective: The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the effect of VA-ECMO + IABP vs.

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Aims: This network meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of early coronary angiography (CAG) compared with selective CAG (late and no CAG) for patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest without ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTE-OHCA).

Methods And Results: A systematic literature search was performed using the EMBASE, MEDLINE and Web of Science databases without restrictions on publication date. The last search was performed on 15 July 2022.

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Purpose: Upper extremity access (UEA) for antegrade cannulation of aortic side branches is a relevant part of endovascular treatment of complex aortic aneurysms and can be achieved using several techniques, sites, and sides. The purpose of this study was to evaluate different UEA strategies in a multicenter registry of complex endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR).

Methods: In six aortic centers in the Netherlands, all endovascular aortic procedures from 2006 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed.

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Objective: Percutaneous femoral artery access is being increasingly used in endovascular aortic repair (EVAR). The technique can be challenging in patients with previously surgically exposed or repaired femoral arteries because of excessive scar tissue. However, a successful percutaneous approach may cause less morbidity than a "re-do" open femoral approach.

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Objective: Periinterventional stroke is one of the most feared potential complication, among patients treated with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The purpose of this review was to investigate the incidence of cerebrovascular events and the influence of postinterventional neurologic check-up in patients undergoing TAVI.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the PRISMA guideline.

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review the risk of developing cerebrovascular complications from upper extremity access during endovascular treatment of complex aortic aneurysms.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the PRISMA guideline. An electronic search of the public domains Medline (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), Web of Science and Cochrane Library was performed to identify studies related to the treatment of aortic aneurysms involving upper extremity access.

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To evaluate the feasibility and safety of the suture-mediated ProGlide device in closure of the brachial artery after endovascular interventions. From 2016 to 2017, a pilot study was performed using the ProGlide to achieve hemostasis after percutaneous access of distal brachial arteries >4 mm in diameter. In an interim analysis, the results were compared to a matched control group taken from a 60-patient historical cohort who underwent brachial artery access and manual compression to achieve hemostasis between 2014 and 2017.

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Purpose: To present a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the transradial approach for aortoiliac and femoropopliteal interventions to the traditional transfemoral access.

Methods: A search of the public domain databases MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library Databases was performed to identify studies related to the use of the transradial approach for infra-aortic procedures. Meta-analysis was used to compare the transradial to the transfemoral route in terms of procedure success, complications, procedure parameters, and hospital length of stay.

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