Intravascular Ultrasound Guided Intervention in Calcified Coronary Lesions Showed Good Clinical Outcomes during One Year Follow-Up.

Background: Calcified coronary lesions can cause stent under-expansion, malapposition, and polymer degradation, hence increasing the risk of adverse clinical outcomes. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) guided by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has been used regularly to improve outcomes. Our primary aim was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of IVUS-guided PCI in calcified coronary lesions.

Determinants of health-related quality of life among outpatients with acute coronary artery disease after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Aim: This study aimed to identify health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its determinants in outpatients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was used and a total of 124 Korean participants was enrolled. The HRQoL (physical limitations, treatment satisfaction, and disease perception), symptom experience (frequency, severity, and distress), physiological (left ventricular ejection fraction and lipids), psychological (depression and anxiety), and situational (social support) factors were measured, selected on the basis of the theory of unpleasant symptoms.

Successful Prasugrel Therapy for Recurrent Left Main Stent Thrombosis in a Clopidogrel Hyporesponder.

Stent thrombosis is a life-threatening sequela of drug-eluting stent implantation. Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and thienopyridine is typically used to prevent this catastrophic event. In terms of stent thrombosis, the major concern is the variable response of patients to clopidogrel, and this has raised interest in new antiplatelet agents.

Percutaneous Forceps Retrieval of an Embolized Amplatzer Duct Occluder.

Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus with the Amplatzer duct occluder shows excellent results. However, there is a risk of device embolization after deployment. We report the case of a 33-year-old man in whom an embolized Amplatzer device was retrieved from the right pulmonary artery by a percutaneous method.