Nicholas Ruggiero

Risk of Major Bleeding with Concomitant Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients Receiving Long-Term Warfarin Therapy

Study Objectives. To characterize the safety of concomitant aspirin, clopidogrel, and warfarin therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and to identify patient characteristics that increase the risk of hemorrhage.

Saphenous vein graft disease: review of pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment.

Saphenous vein graft (SVG) disease after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) occurs in three phases: thrombosis, intimal hyperplasia, and atherosclerosis. Within the first month, thrombosis plays a major role. From month 1 to month 12, intimal hyperplasia occurs. Beyond 12 months, atherosclerosis becomes the primary cause for late graft failure. Endothelial damage has been shown to be the major underlying pathophysiology of SVG disease. Many factors contribute to endothelial damage from the moment the vein is harvested to when the vein is grafted into an arterial environment. To address this disease process, various therapeutic modalities, from surgical methods to medical treatment, have been evaluated. Surgically, the technical method of harvesting the vein has been shown to affect SVG patency. From a pharmacologic perspective, only two guideline class I recommended medications, aspirin and statins, have been shown to improve short- and long-term SVG patency after CABG. Despite these surgical and medical advances, SVG disease remains a significant problem with 1-year patency rates of 89% dropping to 61% after 10 years. This review discusses the pathogenesis of SVG disease, predictors of SVG failure, and current surgical and pharmacologic therapies to address SVG disease, including possible future treatment.

Early‐Onset Heparin‐Induced Thrombocytopenia After a 165‐Day Heparin‐Free Interval: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Early‐ or abrupt‐onset immune‐mediated heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is defined as HIT that occurs less than 5 days after exposure to heparin in patients who have received heparin within the previous 100 days. We identified no reports in the literature of early‐onset HIT in patients who had a heparin‐free interval longer than 100 days. However, we report a case of early‐onset immune‐mediated HIT illustrated by a positive HIT result with serotonin release and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays, and a decrease in platelet count to less than 100 times 103/mm3 with no evidence of thrombosis, approximately 165 days after the patients last exposure to heparin. We conclude that clinicians should choose alternative forms of anticoagulation in patients with even a remote history of HIT. If clinicians are compelled to reexpose patients to heparin, they should confirm a negative HIT assay result, monitor for clinical signs of HIT, and provide appropriate treatment if HIT is suspected.

Endovascular Management of Acute Limb Ischemia.

Despite major advances in pharmacologic and endovascular therapies, acute limb ischemia (ALI) continues to result in significant morbidity and mortality. The incidence of ALI may be as high as 13-17 cases per 100,000 people per year, with mortality rates approaching 18% in some series. This review will address the contemporary endovascular management of ALI encompassing pharmacologic and percutaneous interventional treatment strategies.

Outcomes of Carotid Endarterectomy in the Elderly Report From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry

Background and Purpose— Benchmark trials of carotid endarterectomy often did not include elderly patients, and the results may not be easily extrapolated to the general population. Using the Carotid Artery Revascularization and Endarterectomy registry, we sought to determine real-world outcomes of carotid endarterectomy in the elderly. Methods— This was a retrospective cohort study of patients aged >70 years. We compared outcomes stratified by age among symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Results— There were 4149 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy; 1376 (33.1%) were symptomatic. Overall mortality rate was 0.5%. The primary outcome of in-hospital death, stroke, and myocardial infarction showed a significant trend and was highest in the age >85 years group (5.6%). Among symptomatic patients, mortality and the primary outcome were not statistically different between those aged >75 years and those aged 70 to 74 years. Among asymptomatic elderly patients, mortality rate was significantly higher in age group >75 years compared with <75 years (0.7% vs 0.0%); however, the combined outcome of stroke, death, and myocardial infarction was not statistically different. Conclusions— Elderly patients >85 years of age were at increased risk for death or perioperative complications of stroke, death, and myocardial infarction compared with those who were relatively younger. More elderly patients underwent carotid endarterectomy for asymptomatic carotid stenosis and had higher mortality than the younger counterparts, underlining need for caution in subjecting them to the procedure.

The Current Management of Aortic, Common Iliac, and External Iliac Artery Disease: Basic Data Underlying Clinical Decision Making

The management of aortoiliac occlusive disease is a rapidly evolving field in vascular medicine and surgery. There are multiple approaches that must be considered, ranging from medical management to endovascular and open surgical procedures. The introduction of percutaneous endovascular techniques has significantly changed the landscape of the field forever. We will compare and contrast different treatment strategies and critically review the available literature to allow for evidence-based clinical decisions to be made about the surgical and endovascular management of aortoiliac occlusive disease.

Carotid Revascularization Immediately Before Urgent Cardiac Surgery Practice Patterns Associated With the Choice of Carotid Artery Stenting or Endarterectomy: A Report From the CARE (Carotid Artery Revascularization and Endarterectomy) Registry

OBJECTIVES We describe characteristics associated with use of endarterectomy (CEA) versus stenting (CAS) in patients before urgent cardiac surgery. BACKGROUND The optimal modality of carotid revascularization preceding cardiac surgery is unknown. METHODS Retrospective evaluation of the CARE (Carotid Artery Revascularization and Endarterectomy) registry from January 2005 to April 2010 was performed on patients undergoing CEA or CAS preceding urgent cardiac surgery within 30 days. Baseline characteristics were compared, and multivariate adjustment was performed. RESULTS Of 451 patients who met study criteria, 255 underwent CAS and 196 underwent CEA. Both procedures increased over time to a similar degree (p = 0.18). Patients undergoing CAS had more frequent history of peripheral artery disease (38.2% vs. 26.5%, p < 0.01), neck surgery (5.5% vs. 1.0%, p = 0.01), neck radiation (4.3% vs. 1.0%, p = 0.04), left-main coronary disease (34.8% vs. 23.5%, p < 0.01), neurological events (45.8% vs. 31.3%, p < 0.01), carotid intervention (20.8% vs. 7.6%, p < 0.01), and higher baseline creatinine (1.3 vs. 1.1 mg/dl, p = 0.02). The target carotid arteries of CAS patients were more likely to be symptomatic in the 6 months before revascularization and have restenosis from prior CEA. Patients undergoing CAS had a lower American Society of Anesthesiology grade. Midwest hospitals were less likely to perform CAS than CEA, whereas in the other regions CAS was more common (p < 0.01). Non-Caucasian race, a history of heart failure, previous carotid procedures, prior stroke, left main coronary artery stenosis, lower American Society of Anesthesiology grade, and teaching hospital were independent predictors of patients who would receive CAS. CONCLUSIONS Carotid artery stenting and CEA have increased among patients undergoing urgent cardiac surgery. Patients who underwent CAS had more vascular disease but lower acute pre-surgical risk. Significant regional variation in procedure selection exists.

Carotid Artery Stenting for Recurrent Carotid Artery Restenosis After Previous Ipsilateral Carotid Artery Endarterectomy or Stenting: A Report From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare outcomes of patients undergoing carotid artery stenting (CAS) for ipsilateral restenosis, after either previous CAS or carotid artery endarterectomy (CEA) (CAS-R group), with those of patients who had CAS performed for de novo carotid atherosclerotic stenosis (CAS-DN group). BACKGROUND Therapeutic revascularization strategies to reduce stroke include CAS and CEA. Limited data exist concerning the outcomes of CAS in the setting of previous ipsilateral carotid revascularization. METHODS Patients enrolled in the CARE (Carotid Artery Revascularization and Endarterectomy) registry who underwent CAS were identified and separated into 2 groups: those undergoing CAS after previous ipsilateral CEA or CAS (CAS-R group, n = 1,996) and those who had CAS performed for de novo atherosclerotic carotid stenosis (CAS-DN group, n = 10,122). We analyzed the clinical and procedural factors associated with CAS-R and CAS-DN between January 1, 2005, and October 8, 2012. Propensity score matching using 19 clinical and 9 procedural characteristics was used, yielding 1,756 patients in each CAS cohort. RESULTS The primary endpoint composite of in-hospital death or stroke or myocardial infarction (MI) occurred less often in the CAS-R compared with CAS-DN patients (1.9% vs. 3.2%; p = 0.019). In-hospital adverse cerebrovascular events (stroke or transient ischemic attack) occurred less frequently in the CAS-R cohort (2.2% vs. 3.6%; p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the composite of death, stroke, or MI at 30 days between both groups. CONCLUSIONS Patients who underwent CAS for restenosis after previous ipsilateral revascularization had lower periprocedural adverse event rates and comparable 30-day adverse event rates compared with CAS for de novo carotid artery stenosis.

Carotid stent fracture and restenosis management

We report an unusual case of asymptomatic accelerated right carotid artery in-stent restenosis in a patient referred for revascularization of a de novo stenosis of her left internal carotid artery.

Modern antiplatelet agents in coronary artery disease

Dual antiplatelet therapy is well recognized in the prevention of thrombotic complications of acute coronary syndrome and percutaneous coronary interventions. Despite clinical benefits of aspirin and clopidogrel therapy, a number of limitations curtail their efficacy: slow onset of action, variability in platelet inhibitory response and potential drug–drug interactions. Furthermore, the single platelet-activation pathway targeted by these agents allows continued platelet activation via other pathways, ensuring incomplete protection against ischemic events, thus, underscoring the need for alternate antiplatelet treatment strategies. A number of novel antiplatelet agents are currently in advance development and many have established superior effects on platelet inhibition, clinical outcomes and safety profile than clopidogrel in high-risk patients. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current status of P2Y12 receptor inhibition and PAR-1 antagonists in determining a future strategy for individualized antiplatelet therapy.