Indications for renal arteriography at the time of coronary arteriography: a science advisory from the American Heart Association Committee on Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiac Catheterization, Council on Clinical Cardiology, and the Councils on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention and on Kidney in Cardiovascular Disease.

Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is commonly present in patients with clinically manifest atherosclerosis in other vascular beds and is independently associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Screening tests such as renal angiography should be selectively applied to patients at high risk for renal artery stenosis who are potential candidates for revascularization. This multispecialty consensus document describes the rationale for patient selection for screening renal angiography at the time of cardiac catheterization.

Stent revascularization for the prevention of cardiovascular and renal events among patients with renal artery stenosis and systolic hypertension: rationale and design of the CORAL trial.

Background: Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is a problem with no consensus on diagnosis or therapy. The consequences of renal ischemia are neuroendocrine activation, hypertension, and renal insufficiency that can potentially result in acceleration of atherosclerosis, further renal dysfunction, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and death. Whether revascularization improves clinical outcomes when compared with optimum medical therapy is unknown.

Mechanisms and predictors of carotid artery stent restenosis: a serial intravascular ultrasound study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms and predictors of carotid artery restenosis after carotid artery stenting (CAS) using serial intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging.

Background: Carotid artery stenting is increasingly used to treat high-grade obstructive carotid disease, but our knowledge of carotid in-stent restenosis and remodeling remains limited.

Methods: Post-procedural and 6-month (median 6 months) follow-up quantitative carotid angiography and IVUS were performed after self-expanding stent deployment in 50 internal carotid arteries (ICA).

Functional and clinical outcomes of nitinol stenting with and without abciximab for complex superficial femoral artery disease: a randomized trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition during nitinol stenting, of superficial femoral occlusive disease.

Background: Stent implantation in the superficial femoral artery has been associated with suboptimal results while Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors have shown improved procedural results during coronary intervention. We evaluated abciximab infusion during (Smart Stent) implantation in superficial femoral obstructions.

Evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of renal artery stenting after unsuccessful balloon angioplasty: the ASPIRE-2 study.

Objectives: This study sought to define the safety and durability of renal stenting after suboptimal/failed renal artery angioplasty in patients with suspected renovascular hypertension.

Background: Few prospective multicenter studies have detailed the safety, efficacy, and long-term clinical benefits of renal artery stent revascularization in hypertensive patients with aorto-ostial atherosclerotic renal artery lesions.

Methods: This non-randomized study enrolled 208 patients with de novo or restenotic > or = 70% aorto-ostial renal artery stenoses, who underwent implantation of a balloon-expandable stent after unsuccessful percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA), which was defined as a > or = 50% residual stenosis, persistent translesional pressure gradient, or a flow-limiting dissection.

Renal and iliac artery stenting by interventional cardiologists and vascular surgeons: the Foundation to Advance Medical Education (FAME) initiative.

The American College of Cardiology, in concert with the Society for Coronary Angiography and Interventions and the Society for Vascular Surgery, planned and implemented an initiative to teach stenting of renal and iliac arteries to their peers in practice. Supported by the Foundation to advance medical Education (FAME), the initiative involved 25 preceptees and 6 preceptors and included a didactic portion (a remote learning exercise), an animal practicum, a procedural simulation, and a preceptor/preceptee training segment, all of which was followed by evaluations by the participants. Assessments of the success of the initiative differed between preceptees, who were positive about the experience, and preceptors, who were more critical of the endeavor (with surgeons more critical than cardiologists).

Renal fractional flow reserve: a hemodynamic evaluation of moderate renal artery stenoses.

The objective of this study was to perform a hemodynamic evaluation of moderate (50-90%) renal artery stenosis (RAS) under conditions of rest and maximum hyperemia. Identifying patients with RAS who have hemodynamically significant stenoses and are most likely to benefit from revascularization is clinically important. Current methods used to evaluate RAS, including angiography, have limitations.

Safety and utility of intravascular ultrasound-guided carotid artery stenting.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is useful in evaluating coronary stent deployment. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and utility of IVUS in carotid artery stenting (CAS). Ninety-eight consecutive high-risk patients (107 arteries) underwent CAS.

In-hospital costs of self-expanding nitinol stent implantation versus balloon angioplasty in the femoropopliteal artery (the VascuCoil Trial).

Purpose: Although several prospective studies have examined the safety and efficacy of stent placement for femoropopliteal arterial disease, the current cost of these procedures is unknown. To estimate and compare hospital costs associated with conventional balloon angioplasty (percutaneous transluminal angioplasty [PTA]) and stent placement for patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease, the authors performed a prospective economic evaluation in conjunction with the Intracoil Femoropopliteal Stent Trial (VascuCoil).

Materials And Methods: Between May 1997 and December 1999, 266 patients with stenotic or occluded superficial femoral or popliteal arteries were prospectively randomized to treatment with the IntraCoil stent or PTA.

Guidelines for the reporting of renal artery revascularization in clinical trials.

Although the treatment of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis with use of percutaneous angioplasty, stent placement, and surgical revascularization has gained widespread use, there exist few prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing these techniques to each other or against the standard of medical management alone. To facilitate this process as well as help answer many important questions regarding the appropriate application of renal revascularization, well-designed and rigorously conducted trials are needed. These trials must have clearly defined goals and must be sufficiently sized and performed so as to withstand intensive outcomes assessment.

Guidelines for the reporting of renal artery revascularization in clinical trials.

Although the treatment of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis with use of percutaneous angioplasty, stent placement, and surgical revascularization has gained widespread use, there exist few prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing these techniques to each other or against the standard of medical management alone. To facilitate this process as well as help answer many important questions regarding the appropriate application of renal revascularization, well-designed and rigorously conducted trials are needed. These trials must have clearly defined goals and must be sufficiently sized and performed so as to withstand intensive outcomes assessment.

Rheolytic thrombectomy in the management of limb ischemia: 30-day results from a multicenter registry.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of rheolytic thrombectomy (RT) with the AngioJet catheter for treatment of lower extremity ischemia due to arterial/graft thrombotic occlusion.

Methods: A retrospective multicenter review was performed of 99 consecutive patients (52 men; mean age 67 +/- 13 years, range 30-90) who underwent RT for thrombotic occlusions in native arteries (n=80) or bypass grafts (n=19). Pre- and postprocedural limb ischemia and in-hospital events were evaluated.

Therapeutic angiogenesis in critical limb and myocardial ischemia.

Research in animal models of ischemia has shown that administration of angiogenic growth factors, either as a recombinant protein or by gene transfer, can augment nutrient perfusion through neovascularization to promote the development of supplemental collateral blood vessels that will constitute endogenous bypass conduits around occluded native arteries; a strategy termed "therapeutic angiogenesis." In animal models and clinical trials, the best studied cytokines with angiogenic activity are vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF). Clinical trials of therapeutic angiogenesis in patients with critical limb ischemia demonstrated resolution of rest pain and/or improved limb integrity, increased pain-free walking time and ankle-brachial index, newly visible collateral vessels by digital subtraction angiography, and qualitative evidence of improved distal flow by magnetic resonance imaging.

Renal Artery Stent Placement: Indications and Results.

Although revascularization of renal artery stenosis (RAS) from fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) generally yields satisfying outcomes, traditional approaches to revascularization for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) have been suboptimal because of the invasiveness, relatively high perioperative morbidity and mortality rates of surgery, and the low rates of technical success and long-term patency with percutaneous renal balloon angioplasty (PTA). Endovascular stents have been deployed for failed PTA (unsatisfactory results or complications) and treatment of restenotic lesions. Compared to PTA, primary stenting of ostial ARAS gives superior technical success rates greater than 95% and improved long-term patency.