Dabigatran Added to Dual Antiplatelet Therapy to Treat a Left Ventricular Thrombus in an 87 Year Old Patient With Myocardial Infarction and Very High Bleeding Risk.

A left ventricular (LV) thrombus is detected in approximately 5-10% of patients after myocardial infarction (MI). If left untreated, these LV thrombi carry a significant risk of complications including embolic stroke. According to current guidelines, anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists (VKA) is recommended to treat a LV thrombus.

Femoral access site closure without prior femoral angiography : A retrospective analysis.

Aims And Background: Although guideline recommendations have shifted towards a transradial route, femoral puncture is still an established vascular access, especially for complex coronary interventions. The FemoSeal™ vascular closure device (FVCD) helps to reduce femoral compression time and access site complications after removal of the catheter sheath. To ensure safe use, an angiography of the femoral artery prior to FVCD deployment is recommended by the manufacturer.

Open surgical retrieval of an embolized PFO occluder system.

Device migration after intervention for persistent foramen ovale occlusion is a rare complication. In case of failure of endovascular device retrieval, open surgical removal is indicated, safe, and reliable.

Incidence and treatment of local stenosis or occlusion at the vascular access site leading to limb ischemia and new-onset intermittent claudication after percutaneous interventions: implications of vascular closure devices.

Objective: Vascular access site complications (ASCs) are an ongoing hazard of percutaneous interventions (PI). We analyzed incidence, indication, and results of operative repair of access site complications leading to acute limb ischemia (ALI) or new-onset severe claudication (CI) in our institution during an 8-year period.

Methods: Retrospective analysis: demographic parameters, details of coronary or vascular intervention, use of a vascular closure device (VCD), clinical presentation, diagnosis and therapy.

C-reactive protein plasma levels but not factor VII activity predict clinical outcome in patients undergoing elective coronary intervention.

Background: Both vascular inflammation as determined by C-reactive protein (CRP) and extrinsic coagulation as measured by factor VII activity (F VII) may predict clinical restenosis rate in patients with stable angina pectoris undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Hypothesis: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the associations between baseline CRP levels, F VII activity, and restenosis rate after elective PCI in a 6-month follow-up period.

Methods: This prospective study included 81 patients aged > or = 19 years undergoing PCI for angiographically significant (> or = 70%) stenosis, with or without stenting, and 49 controls.