Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection for treatment of femoral artery pseudoaneurysm with concomitant AV-fistula - a retrospective single centre experience.

Background: Increasing volume of complex percutaneous endovascular procedures in highly anticoagulated patients generate a not negligible percentage of femoral pseudoaneurysms (PSA) with concomitant arteriovenous fistulas (AVF). While ultrasound-guided thrombin injection (UGTI) is the therapy of choice for PSA, concomitant AVF is regarded as a contraindication for UGTI, as venous thromboembolism is feared. In this retrospective, register-based cohort study, we report on and evaluate the use of UGTI for the treatment of PSA with AFV.

Long-term risk of adverse outcomes and new malignancies in patients treated with oral sirolimus for prevention of restenosis.

Objectives: We sought to investigate the long-term efficacy of oral sirolimus therapy and its impact on the incidence of de novo malignancies in the OSIRIS (Oral Sirolimus to Inhibit Recurrent In-Stent Stenosis) trial population.

Background: The OSIRIS trial showed a significant reduction of angiographic restenosis with an oral adjunctive sirolimus treatment for in-stent restenosis. The long-term efficacy of oral sirolimus therapy is unknown.

Stent thrombosis after drug-eluting stent implantation: incidence, timing, and relation to discontinuation of clopidogrel therapy over a 4-year period.

Aims: To assess the incidence, timing, and relation of drug-eluting stent (DES) thrombosis to discontinuation of clopidogrel therapy.

Methods And Results: This prospective observational cohort study included 6816 consecutive patients that underwent successful DES implantation. Primary endpoint was definite stent thrombosis (ST).

Durability of antirestenotic efficacy in drug-eluting stents with and without permanent polymer.

Objectives: We sought to assess changes in antirestenotic efficacy of drug-eluting stents (DES) by restudying subjects at 2 time points after coronary stenting (6 to 8 months and 2 years) and to compare differences in time courses of late luminal loss (LLL) between 3 different DES platforms in use at our institution.

Background: DES therapy is associated with low levels of LLL at 6 to 8 months. The temporal course of neointimal formation after this time point remains unclear.

Paclitaxel- versus sirolimus-eluting stents for unprotected left main coronary artery disease.

Objectives: The aim of this trial was to compare the safety and efficacy of paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) and sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) for treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery (uLMCA) disease.

Background: Both PES and SES have reduced the risk of restenosis, particularly in high-risk patient and lesion subsets. However, their comparative performance in uLMCA lesions is not known.

Predictive factors for in-stent late loss and coronary lesion progression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus randomized to rosiglitazone or placebo.

Background: Type 2 diabetics (DM2) are at increased risk for restenosis as well as nonculprit coronary artery lesion (NCCL) progression. Rosiglitazone (RSG) favorably modifies many of the altered biologic processes in DM2, although recent reports have questioned its safety. We conducted a double-blind randomized trial to assess the effects of RSG versus placebo on in-stent late lumen loss (LL) and angiographic progression of NCCL.

Culotte stenting technique in coronary bifurcation disease: angiographic follow-up using dedicated quantitative coronary angiographic analysis and 12-month clinical outcomes.

Aims: Percutaneous treatment of coronary bifurcation disease remains challenging. In patient subsets in which a two-stent strategy is necessary, the culotte technique is a widely used method. We sought to examine the clinical and angiographic outcomes of patients treated in this manner at our institution.

Randomized trial of three rapamycin-eluting stents with different coating strategies for the reduction of coronary restenosis.

Aims: The objective of this study was to assess the non-inferiority, in terms of anti-restenotic efficacy, of both biodegradable-polymer (BP) and polymer-free (PF) stents compared with permanent-polymer rapamycin-eluting (PP; Cypher) stent.

Methods And Results: Patients with de novo coronary lesions in native vessels were randomly assigned to receive a BP stent, a PF stent or a PP stent. The primary endpoint was in-stent late lumen loss at follow-up angiogram.

One-year clinical outcomes with abciximab vs. placebo in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention after pre-treatment with clopidogrel: results of the ISAR-REACT 2 randomized trial.

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate whether the benefit of abciximab in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACSs) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after pre-treatment with 600 mg clopidogrel is sustained at 1 year.

Methods And Results: We performed 1-year follow-up of 2022 high-risk patients with NSTE-ACS undergoing urgent PCI, who were randomized to abciximab or placebo after pre-treatment with 600 mg clopidogrel in the Intracoronary Stenting and Antithrombotic Regimen: Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment 2 trial. The combined incidence of death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization at 1 year was the primary outcome analysis.

Troponin level and efficacy of abciximab in patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing early intervention after clopidogrel pretreatment.

Objective: We investigated how does troponin level (TnT) affect the benefit achieved by abciximab in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after pretreatment with a high loading dose of clopidogrel.

Methods: The Intracoronary Stenting and Antithrombotic Regimen: Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment (ISAR-REACT 2) trial included 2,022 patients with non-ST elevation ACS undergoing PCI who were randomized to abciximab or placebo after pretreatment with 600 mg of clopidogrel. The patients were divided into groups with elevated TnT level (n = 1,049) and no elevated TnT level (n = 973).

Relationship between platelet count and 30-day clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary interventions. Pooled analysis of four ISAR trials.

Platelets play an important role in the development of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The impact of platelet count on the outcome of patients undergoing PCI after pre-treatment with clopidogrel is unknown. The study included 5,256 patients enrolled in four randomized trials - ISAR-REACT, ISAR-SMART2, ISAR-SWEET, and ISAR-REACT2 - which assessed the value of abciximab in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing PCI after pre-treatment with 600 mg of clopidogrel.

Impact of diabetes mellitus on long-term outcomes in the drug-eluting stent era.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of restenosis, stent thrombosis, and death after percutaneous coronary interventions. Little is known about the late outcome of patients with diabetes mellitus who receive drug-eluting stents (DES).

Methods: This study includes a prospective database of 2557 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease who underwent DES implantation in native coronary arteries in 2 German hospitals.

Sex and effect of abciximab in patients with acute coronary syndromes treated with percutaneous coronary interventions: results from Intracoronary Stenting and Antithrombotic Regimen: Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment 2 trial.

Background: It is not known whether there exists a sex-dependent difference in the clinical benefit of abciximab in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: We performed this retrospective analysis of 2022 patients (498 women) with ACS enrolled in the Intracoronary Stenting and Antithrombotic Regimen: Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment 2 trial and randomized to receive abciximab or placebo during a PCI procedure. The incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during the 30 days after PCI was the primary end point of the study.

Age-dependent effect of abciximab in patients with acute coronary syndromes treated with percutaneous coronary interventions.

Background: No studies have specifically performed an age-based analysis of the efficacy of abciximab in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The aim of the study was to assess whether there are age-dependent differences in the clinical benefit of abciximab in patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with PCI.

Methods And Results: We performed this retrospective analysis of 2022 patients with acute coronary syndrome enrolled in the Intracoronary Stenting and Antithrombotic Regimen: Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment (ISAR-REACT 2) study and randomized to receive abciximab or placebo during a PCI procedure.