Antithrombotic therapies in Canadian atrial fibrillation patients with concomitant coronary artery disease: Insights from the CONNECT AF + PCI-II program.

Background: Selecting the appropriate antithrombotic regimen for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or have had medically managed acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains complex. This multi-centre observational study evaluated patterns of antithrombotic therapies utilized among Canadian patients with AF post-PCI or ACS.

Methods And Results: By retrospective chart audit, 611 non-valvular AF patients [median (interquartile range) age 76 (69-83) years, CHADS score 2 (1-3)] who underwent PCI or had medically managed ACS between August 2018 and December 2020 were identified by 68 cardiologists across eight provinces in Canada.

Rapid pacing technique for preventing ventricular tears during transapical aortic valve replacement.

Background: Transapical aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is emerging as an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement in high-risk or non-operable patients with aortic stenosis. However, this approach might be associated with major bleeding complications during the removal of the introducer sheath from the left ventricular apex. We describe a simple technique to minimize this complication.

Feasibility and initial results of percutaneous aortic valve implantation including selection of the transfemoral or transapical approach in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and initial results of a multidisciplinary percutaneous aortic valve implantation (PAVI) program including the transfemoral approach (TFA) and the transapical approach (TAA). This was a prospective registry including all patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who were evaluated for PAVI and those who finally underwent the procedure. All patients were considered very high risk or nonsurgical candidates, and an algorithm based on prespecified criteria was used to determine the most appropriate approach (TFA vs TAA) for each patient.