James Cockburn

Coronary bifurcation lesions treated with simple or complex stenting: 5-year survival from patient-level pooled analysis of the Nordic Bifurcation Study and the British Bifurcation Coronary Study

AIMSnRandomized trials of coronary bifurcation stenting have shown better outcomes from a simple (provisional) strategy rather than a complex (planned two-stent) strategy in terms of short-term efficacy and safety. Here, we report the 5-year all-cause mortality based on pooled patient-level data from two large bifurcation coronary stenting trials with similar methodology: the Nordic Bifurcation Study (NORDIC I) and the British Bifurcation Coronary Study: old, new, and evolving strategies (BBC ONE).nnnMETHODS AND RESULTSnBoth multicentre randomized trials compared simple (provisional T-stenting) vs. complex (culotte, crush, and T-stenting) techniques, using drug-eluting stents. We analysed all-cause death at 5 years. Data were collected from phone follow-up, hospital records, and national mortality tracking. Follow-up was complete for 890 out of 913 patients (97%). Both Simple and Complex groups were similar in terms of patient and lesion characteristics. Five-year mortality was lower among patients who underwent a simple strategy rather than a complex strategy [17 patients (3.8%) vs. 31 patients (7.0%); P = 0.04].nnnCONCLUSIONnFor coronary bifurcation lesions, a provisional single-stent approach appears to be associated with lower long-term mortality than a systematic dual stenting technique.

Large calibre arterial access device closure for percutaneous aortic valve interventions: Use of the prostar system in 118 cases

: Percutaneous aortic valve treatments, balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), are effective ways to treat patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis when open surgical repair is not feasible or considered too high risk. Large bore vascular access is required, and successful management of this arterial access is key to overall procedural success. We report outcomes and complications using the Prostar vascular closure device following BAV and TAVI.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Using the Repositionable LOTUS Valve: United Kingdom Experience

OBJECTIVESnThis study sought to present the U.K. experience to date with the second-generation LOTUS bioprosthesis (Boston Scientific, Natick, Massachusetts).nnnBACKGROUNDnFirst-generation transcatheter aortic valves have limitations. Second-generation repositionable valves may improve on some of those limitations.nnnMETHODSnProspectively collected data relating to procedural and in-hospital outcome was analyzed from 10 implantation centers in the United Kingdom.nnnRESULTSnImplants in 228 patients age 81.4 ± 7.6 years were studied; 53.5% were male. Mean logistic EuroScore was 17.5 ± 12.4. One hundred eighty-seven (82.0%) were undertaken for aortic stenosis, 7 (3.1%) for aortic regurgitation, and 34 (14.9%) for mixed aortic valve disease. A total of 67.1% of cases were done under local anesthetic and/or sedation with transfemoral access in 94.7% and transaortic in 5.3%. Three device sizes were used: 23 mm (n = 66, 28.9%), 25 mm (n = 39, 17.1%), and 27 mm (n = 123, 53.9%). The valve was successfully deployed in 99.1% of procedures. After implantation, the mean aortic gradient was 11.4 ± 5.4 mm Hg and aortic valve area 1.6 ± 0.5 cm(2). In-hospital mortality was 1.8% (n = 4). Complications included cardiac tamponade (1.8%), conversion to sternotomy (1.3%), stroke (3.9%), vascular access-related (7.0%), and acute kidney injury (7.9%). The incidence of moderate/severe aortic regurgitation was 0.8% (n = 2). A total of 31.8% of patients required new permanent pacemaker implantation.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThis analysis represents the largest published series on use of the LOTUS valve. Outcomes using this valve are excellent. In-hospital mortality is very low. Complication rates are low, and the LOTUS valve improves on first-generation valves, particularly with regard to residual aortic regurgitation.

Percutaneous Closure of Postinfarction Ventricular Septal Defect In-Hospital Outcomes and Long-Term Follow-Up of UK Experience

Background— Postinfarction ventricular septal defect carries a grim prognosis. Surgical repair offers reasonable outcomes in patients who survive a healing phase. Percutaneous device implantation represents a potentially attractive early alternative. Methods and Results— Postinfarction ventricular septal defect closure was attempted in 53 patients from 11 centers (1997–2012; aged 72±11 years; 42% female). Nineteen percent had previous surgical closure. Myocardial infarction was anterior (66%) or inferior (34%). Time from myocardial infarction to closure procedure was 13 (first and third quartiles, 5–54) days. Devices were successfully implanted in 89% of patients. Major immediate complications included procedural death (3.8%) and emergency cardiac surgery (7.5%). Immediate shunt reduction was graded as complete (23%), partial (62%), or none (15%). Median length of stay after the procedure was 5.0 (2.0–9.0) days. Fifty-eight percent survived to discharge and were followed up for 395 (63–1522) days, during which time 4 additional patients died (7.5%). Factors associated with death after postinfarction ventricular septal defect closure included the following: age (hazard ratio [HR]=1.04; P=0.039), female sex (HR=2.33; P=0.043), New York Heart Association class IV (HR=4.42; P=0.002), cardiogenic shock (HR=3.75; P=0.003), creatinine (HR=1.007; P=0.003), defect size (HR=1.09; P=0.026), inotropes (HR=4.18; P=0.005), and absence of revascularization therapy for presenting myocardial infarction (HR=3.28; P=0.009). Prior surgical closure (HR=0.12; P=0.040) and immediate shunt reduction (HR=0.49; P=0.037) were associated with survival. Conclusions— Percutaneous closure of postinfarction ventricular septal defect is a reasonably effective treatment for these extremely high-risk patients. Mortality remains high, but patients who survive to discharge do well in the longer term.Background— Postinfarction ventricular septal defect carries a grim prognosis. Surgical repair offers reasonable outcomes in patients who survive a healing phase. Percutaneous device implantation represents a potentially attractive early alternative.nnMethods and Results— Postinfarction ventricular septal defect closure was attempted in 53 patients from 11 centers (1997–2012; aged 72±11 years; 42% female). Nineteen percent had previous surgical closure. Myocardial infarction was anterior (66%) or inferior (34%). Time from myocardial infarction to closure procedure was 13 (first and third quartiles, 5–54) days. Devices were successfully implanted in 89% of patients. Major immediate complications included procedural death (3.8%) and emergency cardiac surgery (7.5%). Immediate shunt reduction was graded as complete (23%), partial (62%), or none (15%). Median length of stay after the procedure was 5.0 (2.0–9.0) days. Fifty-eight percent survived to discharge and were followed up for 395 (63–1522) days, during which time 4 additional patients died (7.5%). Factors associated with death after postinfarction ventricular septal defect closure included the following: age (hazard ratio [HR]=1.04; P =0.039), female sex (HR=2.33; P =0.043), New York Heart Association class IV (HR=4.42; P =0.002), cardiogenic shock (HR=3.75; P =0.003), creatinine (HR=1.007; P =0.003), defect size (HR=1.09; P =0.026), inotropes (HR=4.18; P =0.005), and absence of revascularization therapy for presenting myocardial infarction (HR=3.28; P =0.009). Prior surgical closure (HR=0.12; P =0.040) and immediate shunt reduction (HR=0.49; P =0.037) were associated with survival.nnConclusions— Percutaneous closure of postinfarction ventricular septal defect is a reasonably effective treatment for these extremely high-risk patients. Mortality remains high, but patients who survive to discharge do well in the longer term.nn# CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE {#article-title-23}

Transaortic transcatheter aortic valve implantation within a previous bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement.

This report documents the first reported case of transaortic transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using the CoreValve ReValving system (Medtronic CoreValve System, Luxembourg), within a previous bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement. TAVI has become a recognized percutaneous treatment for patients with severe native or bioprosthetic aortic valve stenosis. However, as the number of patients screened for TAVI increases, a number of patients are found with absolutely no option for peripheral arterial access, either from the femoral or subclavian routes. Transaortic CoreValve placement offers an alternate minimally invasive hybrid surgical/interventional technique when peripheral access is not possible. A CoreValve prosthesis was implanted via the transaortic route in an 81‐year‐old woman with severe bioprosthetic aortic valve stenosis (21 mm Mitroflow pericardial valve, peak instantaneous gradient of 99 mmHg, effective valve orifice area (EOA) of 0.3 cm2, as ilio‐femoral and left subclavian angiography revealed small calibre vessels (<6 mm). Access was achieved via a mini thoracotomy via the left anterior second intercostal space. The procedure went without complication. Post procedure the patient was transferred directly to the Cardiac Care Unit for recuperation. Post procedure echocardiography showed that the TAVI was well positioned with no para‐valvular leak and a reduction in peak instantaneous gradient to 30 mmHg and an increase in EOA to 1.5 cm2. She was discharged on the third post‐procedural day in sinus rhythm with a narrow QRS complex. CoreValve implantation within previous surgical bioprosthesis is now an established treatment. The transaortic approach to transcatheter implantation is a promising recent development, when due to anatomical reasons, transfemoral or subclavian TAVI is not feasible.

Contemporary clinical outcomes of patients treated with or without rotational coronary atherectomy - An analysis of the UK central cardiac audit database

INTRODUCTIONnRotational atherectomy (RA) is widely used for treating calcified coronary lesions. Clinical data however remain limited.nnnMETHODSnWe assessed outcome and survival among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with or without RA in the UK between September 2007 and March 2011.nnnRESULTSnData from 221,669 percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures were analysed; 2152 patients (0.97%) underwent RA (RA+); the remainder underwent conventional PCI (RA-). RA+ patients were older (71.7±9.6 vs. 64.1±12.8 year; p<0.001), and had a higher incidence of diabetes (26.4% vs. 18.0%; p<0.001), hypertension, (61.9% vs. 49.4%; p<0.001), peripheral vascular disease (9.9% vs. 4.2%, p<0.001), cerebrovascular disease (5.5% vs. 3.4%, p<0.001), renal impairment (3.4% vs. 1.5%, p<0.001) and poor left ventricular function (11.4% vs. 4.3%,p<0.001). Procedural success was lower among RA+ patients (90.3% vs 94.6%; p<0.001) and procedural complications were more frequent (9.7% vs 5.4%; p<0.001). After 2.4±1.2 years follow-up, unadjusted Cox proportional hazard modeling demonstrated poorer survival for RA+ patients (HR 2.21, 95%CI 1.97-2.49; p<0.0001). This disadvantage remained after adjustment for adverse variables (HR 1.26, 95%CI 1.11-1.44; p=0.0004) and following propensity analysis. There was evidence however of improved survival for RA+ patients with left main stem disease (HR 0.52, 95%CI 0.35-0.75, p<0.0001), and peripheral vascular disease (HR 0.65, 95%CI 0.43-0.98, p<0.0005).nnnCONCLUSIONSnRotational atherectomy was undertaken in patients with higher pre-procedural risk. Medium term survival was worse among patients undergoing rotational atherectomy, and this survival disadvantage remained after correction for available adverse factors. Rotational atherectomy however remains clinically useful for patients with calcified coronary lesions.

Poor mobility predicts adverse outcome better than other frailty indices in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Surgical risk scoring systems are poor at predicting outcome in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Frailty indices might more accurately predict outcome. Aims: To examine multiple frailty indices as markers of performance to see whether they predict outcomes both in the shorter (30 days) and longer terms (5 years) in patients who have undergone TAVI.

Development of mitral stenosis after single MitraClip insertion for severe mitral regurgitation.

We report the first case of mitral stenosis following Mitra‐Clip insertion in a patient with symptomatic NYHA IV heart failure, secondary to severe mitral regurgitation (MR). A 79‐year‐old female with a history of prior aortic valve replacement underwent percutaneous mitral valve (MV) repair. A single clip was advanced coaxially down onto the MV under TOE guidance, with the anterior and posterior leaflets clipped together between A2 and P2. TOE confirmed a significant reduction in MR (grade 4 to grade 1). Despite initial symptomatic relief, she represented 3 months later with similar symptoms. Repeat TOE confirmed a well positioned Mitra‐Clip with mild residual MR. However, the possibility of significant mitral stenosis was raised due to the presence of significant turbulence through the bi‐orifice valve, with a peak gradient of 25 mm Hg. In addition there was evidence of severe functional tricuspid valve (TV) regurgitation with elevated pulmonary artery pressures (PAP 90 mm Hg), confirmed on subsequent right heart catheterization. After repeated heart team discussions and a failure of optimal medical therapy, and despite a logistic EuroScore of 35.5, minimally invasive surgical replacement of the MV and simultaneous TV repair was undertaken via a right thoracotomy. Despite procedural success and initial good postoperative response, the patient died subsequently from a combination of hospital‐acquired pneumonia and significant gastrointestinal bleeding (post operative day 35). Mitra‐Clip is a promising novel approach to MV repair. The establishment of further clinical and echocardiographic based selection criteria will help identify the correct patients for this treatment.

Use of troponin to diagnose periprocedural myocardial infarction: effect on composite endpoints in the British Bifurcation Coronary Study (BBC ONE).

Background Periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI; ESC/ACC type 4a) is diagnosed on the basis of elevation of cardiac enzymes more than three times the 99th centile upper reference limit. Recent guidelines recommend the use of troponin instead of creatine kinase (CK) to diagnose PMI, but this assay increases diagnostic sensitivity, while the clinical significance of small increases in troponin remains undetermined. We examined the effects of using the new definition on the incidence of a composite endpoint (previously defined by CK) in a contemporary clinical randomised trial—the British Bifurcation Coronary Study (BBC ONE). Methods The BBC ONE trial randomly allocated 500 patients with coronary bifurcation lesions to either a simple or complex stenting strategy. The composite primary endpoint (CPEP) included death, myocardial infarction (MI) (PMI plus subsequent MI) and target vessel failure, at 9u2005months. Results In BBC ONE the CPEP occurred in 8% versus 15.2% in the simple and complex groups, respectively (HR 2.02, 95% CI 1.17 to 3.47, p=0.009). This difference was largely driven by PMI, which occurred in nine (3.6%) versus 28 (11.2%) patients (HR 3.24, 95% CI 1.53 to 6.86, p=0.001). Using troponin, PMI would have occurred in 71 (28.4%) versus 114 (45.6%) patients, respectively (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.27 to 2.05, p=0.001), and the CPEP in 32% versus 48% of patients (HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.2 to 1.87, p=0.001). Use of troponin increased MI detection fivefold, from 7.4% to 37.0% overall. Conclusions Use of troponin would have led to a fivefold increase in diagnosis of PMI in the BBC ONE trial. Incorporation of PMI into a composite endpoint may no longer be justified in many interventional trials.

Legacy Effect of Coronary Perforation Complicating Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Chronic Total Occlusive Disease: An Analysis of 26 807 Cases From the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society Database

Background— Coronary perforation (CP) during chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention for stable angina (CTO-PCI) is a rare but serious event. The evidence base is limited, and the long-term effects are unclear. Using a national PCI database, the incidence, predictors, and outcomes of CP during CTO-PCI were defined. Methods and Results— Data analyzed from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society data set on all CTO-PCI procedures performed in England and Wales between 2006 and 2013. Multivariate logistic regressions and propensity scores were used to identify predictors of CP and its association with outcomes. A total of 376 CP were recorded from 26 807 CTO-PCI interventions (incidence of 1.40%) with an increase in frequency during the study period (P=0.012). Patient-related factors associated with an increased risk of CP were age and female sex. Procedural factors indicative of complex CTO intervention strongly related to an increased risk of CP with a close relationship between the number of complex strategies used and CP evident (P=0.008 for trend). Tamponade occurred in 16.6% and emergency surgery in 3.4% of cases. Adverse outcomes were frequent in those patients with perforation including bleeding, transfusion, myocardial infarction, and death. A legacy effect of perforation on mortality was evident, with an odds ratio for 12-month mortality of 1.60 for perforation survivors compared with matched nonperforation survivors without a CP (P<0.0001). Conclusions— Many of the factors associated with an increased risk of CP were related to CTO complexity. Perforation was associated with adverse outcomes, with a legacy effect on later mortality after CP also observed.