Long-term outcome of acute myocardial infarction patients treated with stents versus balloon angioplasty: results from randomized trials.

Aim: To examine the impact of primary stent implantation versus balloon angioplasty on long-term outcome (median 8 years) in 117 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) from randomized trials.

Methods: Enrolled patients were those presenting with STEMI within 12 h of symptom onset. Patients were randomized to either Palmaz-Schatz stent implantation (N=25) or balloon angioplasty (N=23) between January and November 1996; or Palmaz-Schatz (N=26), or Cordis coil stent implantation (N=24) or balloon angioplasty (N=19) between February 1998 and March 1999.

Usefulness of a new radiofrequency thermal balloon catheter for pulmonary vein isolation: a new device for treatment of atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: A rapidly firing or triggered ectopic focus located within a pulmonary vein (PV) or close to the PV ostium could induce atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a radiofrequency thermal balloon catheter for isolation of the PV from the left atrium (LA).

Methods And Results: Twenty patients with drug-resistant paroxysmal AF were treated by isolating the superior PVs using an RF thermal balloon catheter.

Angioplasty for chronic total occlusion by using tapered-tip guidewires.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) is still technically challenging. The use of tapered-tip guidewires in these lesions may improve the success rate of PCI. In order to avoid the needless radiation exposure or contrast consumption, we have to determine a guideline for the termination of procedures in these lesions.

Comparative study on transradial approach vs. transfemoral approach in primary stent implantation for patients with acute myocardial infarction: results of the test for myocardial infarction by prospective unicenter randomization for access sites (TEMPURA) trial.

Transradial coronary intervention (TRI) can be performed in elective patients with low incidence of access site complications. However, the feasibility of primary stent implantation by TRI is still not clear in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We prospectively randomized 149 patients out of 213 patients with AMI within 12 hr from onset into two groups: 77 patients treated by TRI (TRI group) and 72 patients by transfemoral coronary intervention (TFI; TFI group).

[Feasibility of combination mapping utilizing a duo-decapolar electrode catheter and the CARTO system for incisional reentrant atrial tachycardia with cycle length alternation: a case report].

A 43-year-old woman had undergone patch closure operation for atrial septal defect 27 years ago. She was referred to our hospital for evaluation of frequent palpitations since 1 year ago. Electrophysiological study was performed with recording of the coronary sinus, His bundle, and low lateral right free wall electrography utilizing a steerable duo-decapolar electrode catheter(Livewire, Daig).

Usefulness of hydrophilic coating on arterial sheath introducer in transradial coronary intervention.

Radial artery spasm is one of the major problems during transradial coronary intervention (TRI). The sheath introducer with hydrophilic coating may reduce the incidence of spasm and reduce the difficulty in removing it from the radial artery under the situation of spasm artery spasm. After we compared the friction resistance between the sheath introducer with hydrophilic coating and that without coating (nine samples each) in vitro, the sheath introducers with and without hydrophilic coating were randomly used in 37 and 36 patients, respectively, who underwent elective TRI with a 6 Fr introducer sheath.