The role of external iliac artery diameter indexed to BSA score in predicting vascular access complications after transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Introduction: Aortic stenosis is the most common primary valve disease and requires invasive treatment. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) from a transfemoral access is a routine intervention worldwide.

Aim: To investigate the correlation between external iliac artery diameter (EIAD) indexed to body surface area (BSA) (EIAD-BSA) and access site complications in patients undergoing TAVI via transfemoral access (TF) (TF-TAVI).

Multicenter registry of Impella-assisted high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions and cardiogenic shock in Poland (IMPELLA-PL).

Background: Impella is a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device for treatment of cardiogenic shock (CS) and high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions (HR-PCIs). IMPELLA-PL is a national retrospective registry of Impella-treated CS and HR-PCI patients in 20 Polish interventional cardiological centers, conducted from January 2014 until December 2021.

Aims: We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of Impella using real-world data from IMPELLA-PL and compare these with other registries.

Long-term mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation for aortic stenosis in immunosuppression-treated patients: a propensity-matched multicentre retrospective registry-based analysis.

Introduction: Data regarding patients with a previous medical record of immunosuppression treatment who have undergone transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are limited and extremely inconclusive. Available studies are mostly short term observations; thus there is a lack of evidence on efficacy and safety of TAVI in this specific group of patients.

Aim: To compare the in-hospital and long-term outcomes between patients with or without a medical history of immunosuppressive treatment undergoing TAVI for aortic valve stenosis (AS).

Underlying Causes of Myocardial Infarction with Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries: Optical Coherence Tomography and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Pilot Study.

Background: Scientific statements recommend multimodality imaging in myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) to define the underlying cause.

Aim: We evaluated the diagnostic yield of intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in the MINOCA setting.

Methods: In this prospective, single center, observational pilot study, we enrolled patients with MINOCA without previous coronary interventions.

Long-term outcomes following drug-eluting balloon or thin-strut drug-eluting stents for treatment of in-stent restenosis stratified by duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DEB-Dragon Registry).

Introduction: Data regarding the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients with drug-eluting stent restenosis (DES-ISR) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and drug-eluting balloons (DEB) or DES are not unambiguous.

Aim: To evaluate the relationship between long-term outcomes and the length of DAPT in patients treated with PCI due to DES-ISR with DEB or DES.

Material And Methods: Overall, a total of 1,367 consecutive patients with DES-ISR, who underwent PCI with DEB or DES between 2008 and 2019 entered the study.

Long-Term Mortality After TAVI for Bicuspid vs. Tricuspid Aortic Stenosis: A Propensity-Matched Multicentre Cohort Study.

Objectives: Patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) stenosis were excluded from the pivotal trials of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We compared the in-hospital and long-term outcomes between patients undergoing TAVI for bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) stenosis.

Methods: We performed a retrospective registry-based analysis on patients who underwent TAVI for BAV and TAV at five different centers between January 2009 and August 2017.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention vs. Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for Treating In-Stent Restenosis in Unprotected-Left Main: LM-DRAGON-Registry.

Background: Data regarding management of patients with unprotected left main coronary artery in-stent restenosis (LM-ISR) are scarce.

Objectives: This study investigated the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) vs. coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for the treatment of unprotected LM-ISR.

Long-term outcomes following drug-eluting balloons vs. thin-strut drug-eluting stents for treatment of recurrent restenosis in drug-eluting stents.

Background: There is limited data on the optimal revascularization strategy in patients with recurrent in-stent restenosis (R-ISR).

Aims: To compare the long-term outcomes of patients treated with either a thin-strut drug-eluting stent (thin-DES) or a drug-eluting balloon (DEB) for R-ISR in a drug-eluting stent (DES).

Methods: A multicenter DEB-DRAGON registry was used to retrospectively identify patients with R-ISR who received either a thin-DES or a DEB.

Intravascular Lithotripsy for the Treatment of Stent Underexpansion: The Multicenter IVL-DRAGON Registry.

Background: Whereas the efficacy and safety of intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) have been confirmed in de novo calcified coronary lesions, little is known about its utility in treating stent underexpansion. This study aimed to investigate the impact of IVL in treating stent underexpansion. Methods and Results: Consecutive patients with stent underexpansion treated with IVL entered the multicenter IVL-Dragon Registry.

Clinical use of intracoronary imaging modalities in Poland. Expert opinion of the Association of Cardiovascular Interventions of the Polish Cardiac Society.

The article presents the most common, current indications for the use of intravascular invasive imag-ing diagnostic techniques, i.e. intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography in Polish invasive cardiology centers.

Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke-The Role of Interventional Cardiologists: A Prospective Single-Center Study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the safety and outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) performed at a stroke center by interventional cardiologists (ICs) compared with other interventionists. The primary endpoint was functional independence of stroke survivors (modified Rankin scale score 0-2) at 3 months. The secondary endpoints included recanalization rate, reduction in stroke severity, and 3-month mortality.

Clinical Outcomes following Large Vessel Coronary Artery Perforation Treated with Covered Stent Implantation: Comparison between Polytetrafluoroethylene- and Polyurethane-Covered Stents (CRACK-II Registry).

Data on the clinical outcomes comparing synthetic fluorocarbon polymer polytetrafluoroethylene- (PTFE, GraftMaster) and polyurethane- (Papyrus) covered stents (CSs) to seal coronary artery perforations (CAPs) are limited. We aimed to evaluate 30-day and 1-year clinical outcomes after PCI complicated by CAP and treated with CS. We assessed 106 consecutive patients with successful CAP sealing (122 CSs): GraftMaster (51 patients, 57 CSs) or Papyrus CS (55 patients, 65 CSs).

Exposure of the eye lens and brain for interventional cardiology staff.

Introduction: Occupational exposure to ionizing radiation for people working with an X-ray treatment unit is one of the highest in medicine. The epidemiological data analyzed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) indicate that the dose threshold for tissues located in the eye lens is or may be lower than previously thought. The new ICRP recommendations reduce the currently used threshold 7.

Five-year outcomes after state-of-the-art percutaneous coronary revascularization in patients with de novo three-vessel disease: final results of the SYNTAX II study.

Aims: The SYNTAX II study evaluated the impact of advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), integrated into a single revascularization strategy, on outcomes of patients with de novo three-vessel disease. The study employed decision-making utilizing the SYNTAX score II, use of coronary physiology, thin-strut biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents, intravascular ultrasound, enhanced treatments of chronic total occlusions, and optimized medical therapy. Patients treated with this approach were compared with predefined patients from the SYNTAX I trial.

Long-Term Outcomes Following Drug-Eluting Balloons Versus Thin-Strut Drug-Eluting Stents for Treatment of In-Stent Restenosis (DEB-Dragon-Registry).

[Figure: see text].

FOXO1 and ANGPT2 relative gene expression in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction among patients with or without type 2 diabetes.

Introduction: It is well known that chronic hyperglycemia or chronic inflammation leads to both FOXO1 and Ang-2 gene (ANGPT2) expression induction in endothelial cells. ANGPT2 and FOXO1 relative gene expression in peripheral blood cells in diabetes and myocardial ischemia were not researched extensively.

Aim: Our objective was to evaluate ANGPT2 and FOXO1 gene expression in peripheral blood cells in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), both with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and compare them to the results obtained from T2DM and control subjects.

Long-term (≥15 years) Follow-up of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of Unprotected Left Main (From the GRAVITY Registry).

Long term survival and its determinants after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) on Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery (ULMCA) remain to be appraised. In 9 European Centers 470 consecutive patients performing PCI on ULMCA between 2002 and 2005 were retrospectively enrolled. Survival from all cause and cardiovascular (CV) death were the primary end points, while their predictors at multivariate analysis the secondary ones.

Performance of Integrated Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Intravascular Ultrasound (NIRS-IVUS) System against Quantitative Flow Ratio (QFR).

Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a new opportunity to analyze functional stenosis during invasive coronary angiography. Together with a well-known intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and a new player in the field, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), it is gaining a lot of interest. The aim of the study was to compare QFR results with integrated IVUS-NIRS results acquired simultaneously in the same coronary lesion.

Procedural and 1-year outcomes following large vessel coronary artery perforation treated by covered stents implantation: Multicentre CRACK registry.

Background: Data regarding the clinical outcomes of covered stents (CSs) used to seal coronary artery perforations (CAPs) in the all-comer population are scarce. The aim of the CRACK Registry was to evaluate the procedural, 30-days and 1-year outcomes after CAP treated by CS implantation.

Methods: This multicenter all-comer registry included data of consecutive patients with CAP treated by CS implantation.

Acute Angulation and Sequential Lesion Increase the Risk of Rotational Atherectomy Failure.

Background: The aim of the study was to assess anatomical and procedural predictors of clinical and procedural failure of rotational atherectomy (RA) in an all-comers population.

Methods and results: A total of 534 consecutive patients who underwent RA were included in a double-center observational study. The primary composite endpoint consisted of: rota-wire introduction failure, burr-passage failure, periprocedural complications and procedure-related major adverse events.