Amplatzer or Figulla Flex II Occluder: a comparative study of outcomes after transcatheter patent foramen ovale closure.

Objectives: Percutaneous closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) for the prevention of recurrent paradoxical thromboembolic events has been shown to be safe and effective in randomized controlled trials. However, it remains uncertain if differences in the structure and design of the occluder devices impact the outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare results of percutaneous PFO closure using 2 widely used double-disc occluders.

Mitigating the risk of flow deterioration by deferring stent optimization in STEMI patients with large thrombus burden: Insights from a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: It is uncertain, if omitting post-dilatation and stent oversizing (stent optimization) is safe and may decrease the risk for distal thrombus embolization (DTE) in STEMI patients with large thrombus burden (LTB).

Background: In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) with stenting, (DTE) and flow deterioration are common and increase infarct size leading to worse outcomes.

Methods: From a prospective registry, 74 consecutive STEMI patients with LTB undergoing pPCI with stenting and intentionally deferred stent optimization were analyzed.

Treatment of Calcified Lesions Using a Dedicated Super-High Pressure Balloon: Multicenter Optical Coherence Tomography Registry.

Background: Calcified lesions often lead to difficulty achieving optimal stent expansion. OPN non-compliant (NC) is a twin layer balloon with high rated burst pressure that may modify calcium effectively.

Methods: Retrospective, multicenter registry in patients undergoing optical coherence tomography (OCT) guided intervention with OPN NC.

Direct Oral Anticoagulants Versus Vitamin K Antagonists for the Treatment of Left Ventricular Thrombi-Insights from a Swiss Multicenter Registry.

Current guidelines recommend vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for the treatment of a left ventricular thrombus (LVT). However, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) show superior safety and efficacy compared with VKAs in most thromboembolic disorders. Nevertheless, DOACs remain poorly investigated for the treatment of LVT.

Trajectories of Cardiac Function Following Treatment With an Impella Device in Patients With Acute Anterior ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) unloading via the percutaneous micro-axial Impella pump is increasingly used in patients with anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and overt cardiogenic shock. In this context, the evolution of cardiac function and dimensions beyond hospital discharge remains uncertain. We aimed to characterize echocardiographic changes over time in patients with acute anterior STEMI treated with an Impella device.

Metal free percutaneous coronary interventions in all-comers: First experience with a novel sirolimus-coated balloon.

Background: Limus-eluting stents have become the mainstay for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, even with the latest generation drug-eluting stent, in-stent restenosis and very late stent thrombosis remain a concern. The Selution SLR™ drug-coated balloon (DCB) is a novel sirolimus-coated balloon that provides a controlled release of the antiproliferative drug.

Pushing the Boundaries: Drug-Coated Balloons to Treat a Calcified and Thrombotic Lesion in Acute Coronary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND Use of drug-coated balloons (DCB) is an important research topic. Many companies are quickly developing new, cutting-edge technologies and means to deliver drugs. Moreover, interest is growing in use of sirolimus-coated balloons, a promising technology in the "leaving nothing behind" era.

Treatment of In-Stent Restenosis Using a Dedicated Super High-Pressure Balloon.

Background: Treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) is challenging and treatment failure rate remains high. Correction of stent under-expansion and neointimal compression using the twin-layer OPN™ highly non-compliant balloon (NCB) at high pressure (>30 atm) may lead to increased luminal gain and thus better clinical outcomes. We evaluated periprocedural safety and clinical long-term outcomes after ISR treatment using the OPN™ NCB in a real-world population.

Manual compression versus MANTA device for access management after impella removal on the ICU.

To compare the safety and efficacy of manual compression versus use of the MANTA closure device for access management after Impella removal on the intensive care unit (ICU). The number of patients treated with percutaneous left ventricular assist devices (pLVAD), namely Impella and ECMO, for complex cardiac procedures or shock, is growing. However, removal of pLVAD and large bore arteriotomy closure among such patients on the ICU remains challenging, since it is associated with a high risk for bleeding and vascular complications.

Long-Term Outcomes After Implantation of Magnesium-Based Bioresorbable Scaffolds-Insights From an All-Comer Registry.

Background: The magnesium-based sirolimus-eluting bioresorbable scaffold (Mg-BRS) Magmaris™ showed promising clinical outcomes, including low rates of both the target lesion failure (TLF) and scaffold thrombosis (ScT), in selected study patients. However, insights regarding long-term outcomes (>2 years) in all-comer populations remain scarce.

Methods: We analyzed data from a single-center registry, including patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using the Mg-BRS.

Ventricular Unloading Using the Impella Device in Cardiogenic Shock.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) remains a leading cause of hospital death. However, the use of mechanical circulatory support has fundamentally changed CS management over the last decade and is rapidly increasing. In contrast to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as well as counterpulsation with an intraaortic balloon pump, ventricular unloading by the Impella™ device actively reduces ventricular volume as well as pressure and augments systemic blood flow at the same time.

Long-term outcomes after treatment of in-stent restenosis using the Absorb everolimus-eluting bioresorbable scaffold.

Background: Early studies evaluating the performance of bioresorbable scaffold (BRS) Absorb in in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesions indicated promising short-term to mid-term outcomes.

Aims: To evaluate long-term outcomes (up to 5 years) of patients with ISR treated with the Absorb BRS.

Methods: We did an observational analysis of long-term outcomes of patients treated for ISR using the Absorb BRS (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, California, USA) between 2013 and 2016 at the Heart Centre Luzern.

The Importance of Defining the Coronary Anatomy in Suspected Myopericarditis: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND It is challenging to distinguish between acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and myocardial injury due to alternative causes (eg myopericarditis, coronary vasospasm, and pulmonary embolism), as they often share similar presentations, especially in young patients. Coronary computerized tomography angiography (CCTA) is increasingly recognized as a fast and safe diagnostic tool for rapid assessment of the coronary anatomy among patients with a low to intermediate cardiovascular risk profile and/or atypical chest pain. However, its utility among patients with possible ACS is still debated.

Deferring stent optimization in stent thrombosis: A novel approach for STEMI management-Insights from a case series.

Treatment of ST represents a challenge. The presence of large amounts of thrombus combined with stent optimization increase the risk of distal embolization. A two-step strategy of stent implantation and deferred stent optimization might be appropriated.

Hypoxia Positively Regulates the Expression of pH-Sensing G-Protein-Coupled Receptor OGR1 (GPR68).

Background & Aims: A novel family of proton-sensing G-protein-coupled receptors, including ovarian cancer G-protein-coupled receptor 1 (OGR1) (GPR68) has been identified to play a role in pH homeostasis. Hypoxia is known to change tissue pH as a result of anaerobic glucose metabolism through the stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α. We investigated how hypoxia regulates the expression of OGR1 in the intestinal mucosa and associated cells.

Malignancies in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Single-Centre Experience.

Background: Gastrointestinal and extraintestinal malignancies are long-term complications in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), likely as a result of chronic inflammation and the use of immunosuppressive medications used to control inflammation. Here, we assessed the frequency of malignancies in a large tertiary IBD centre at the University Hospital Zurich.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 1,026 patients from our IBD clinic treated between 2007 and 2014.