Left Main Coronary Artery Lesions Research Articles

SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT USING INTRAVASCULAR LITHOTRIPSY ON THE LEFT MAIN? INSIGHT FROM ROLLING STONE RETROSPECTIVE REGISTRY

Abstract Background The use of rotational atherectomy is currently prevalent in the treatment of left main coronary artery lesions. However, it often necessitates the use of a large burr to achieve adequate debulking, which, in turn, demands highly experienced operators. Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is a promising, user–friendly and increasingly employed technique for calcific plaque modification before percutaneous coronary intervention. Although in many cath labs it is now routinely used to treat lesions of the three main coronary arteries, there are still concerns regarding its use in the left main, primarily due to prolonged inflations required for its optimal efficacy. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis using data from the multicenter retrospective Rolling Stone registry. The analysis involved data from 474 patients, with a stratification between IVL procedures involving left main coronary artery (46 patients) and those that did not (428 patients). The primary effectiveness endpoint was procedural success (defined as achieving residual stenosis < 20% with TIMI III flow); secondary endpoints included the rate of procedural related adverse events, in hospital adverse events and MACE rate at 30 days and 6 months. Results Between April 2018 and January 2023, a total of 474 underwent IVL procedures. Most patients presented with calcific lesion requiring lithotripsy in non–left main segments, while IVL was performed on the left main artery in 46 patients. No significative differences were found on baseline characteristics between LM and non–LM groups. Treatment of IVL–LM lesion was marked by a high procedural success rate (97.8%) and a low incidence of procedural and peri–procedural complications. However, there was a higher rate of contrast–induced acute kidney injury in patients treated in LM (6.5% vs. 1.6%, p=0.030), although no other differences for in–hospital outcomes were observed. Furthermore, there were no differences in 30–day and 6–month follow–up outcomes between the two groups. Conclusions This study suggests that employing intravascular lithotripsy in the left main coronary artery is not only a safe procedure but also produces excellent results comparable to its application in other coronary branches. This provides a substantial level of confidence in the safety and effectiveness of IVL when used in this specific context.

MULTIDRUG RESISTANT DYSLIPIDEMIA: A CASE REPORT

Abstract Introduction Recently introduced lipid–lowering agents (PCSK9–i, bempedoic acid) can efficiently treat statin–intolerant patients, who couldn‘t reach LDL target before. Nonetheless, there are still cases where the pharmacological management may have strong limitations. Case Report A 71 year–old woman, with multiple cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes, hypertension and familial dylipidemia, LDL–C 276) underwent heart transplantation for a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with an evolution towards a dilated phenotype in 2005. Before the transplant, she was on low–dose statin treatment (pravastatin 10 mg/die) that was suspended years later owing to hyper–CKemia (600 U/L), despite her being totally asymptomatic. A second attempt with simvastatin/ezetimibe 40/10 mg resulted again in elevation of CK levels, associated with significant muscular pain. Thus, just ezetimibe was continued. In 2020, 15 years after the transplant, the patient underwent a coronary angiography showing a moderate coronary allograft vasculopathy (ISHLT CAV2). Specifically, a sub occlusive ostial left main coronary artery lesion was treated by percutaneous angioplasty and stent implantation. Since a lower LDL target was needed (LDL–C 55 mg/dL), Alirocumab was introduced. However, 6 months later, no significant LDL levels reduction had been observed. The shift to evolocumab led to the same result, although the patient reported full therapeutic compliance. In the suspicion of anti–drug antibodies development, we opted for Inclisiran without achieving a significant decrease in LDL–C levels. In parallel with the search for genetic mutations in the PCSK9 gene and other genes involved in cholesterol metabolism (including LDLR, APOB, and LDLRAP1 and resulting positive only for common variants in LDLR receptor), therapy with bempedoic acid was initiated, again without substantial benefit (LDL–C 118 mg/dL). Conclusion Despite cholesterol management has been simplified by the introduction of new drugs, it may still be complex in patients requiring very low LDL–C levels in some specific cases. Drugs with a LDL receptor–independent mechanism of action (e.g., evinacumab) may allow the achievement of therapeutic goals suggested by clinical guidelines.

MULTIDRUG RESISTANT DYSLIPIDEMIA: A CASE REPORT

Objective: Recently introduced lipid-lowering agents (PCSK9-i, bempedoic acid) can efficiently treat statin-intolerant patients, who couldn’t reach LDL target before. Nonetheless, there are still cases where the pharmacological management may have strong limitations. Design and method: A 71 year-old woman, with multiple cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes, hypertension and familial dylipidemia, LDL-C 276) underwent heart transplantation for a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with an evolution towards a dilated phenotype in 2005. Before the transplant, she was on low-dose statin treatment (pravastatin 10 mg/die) that was suspended years later owing to hyper-CKemia (600 U/L), despite her being totally asymptomatic. A second attempt with simvastatin/ezetimibe 40/10 mg resulted again in elevation of CK levels, associated with significant muscular pain. Thus, just ezetimibe was continued. In 2020, 15 years after the transplant, the patient underwent a coronary angiography showing a moderate coronary allograft vasculopathy (ISHLT CAV2). Specifically, a sub occlusive ostial left main coronary artery lesion was treated by percutaneous angioplasty and stent implantation. Since a lower LDL target was needed (LDL-C 55 mg/dL), Results: Alirocumab was introduced. However, 6 months later, no significant LDL levels reduction had been observed. The shift to evolocumab led to the same result, although the patient reported full therapeutic compliance. In the suspicion of anti-drug antibodies development, we opted for Inclisiran without achieving a significant decrease in LDL-C levels. In parallel with the search for genetic mutations in the PCSK9 gene and other genes involved in cholesterol metabolism (including LDLR, APOB, and LDLRAP1 and resulting positive only for common variants in LDLR receptor), therapy with bempedoic acid was initiated, again without substantial benefit (LDL-C 118 mg/dL). Conclusions: Despite cholesterol management has been simplified by the introduction of new drugs, it may still be complex in patients requiring very low LDL-C levels in some specific cases. Drugs with a LDL receptor-independent mechanism of action (e.g., evinacumab) may allow the achievement of therapeutic goals suggested by clinical guidelines.

Long-Term Results of Stenting in Patients with Hemodynamically Significant Lesions of the Left Main Coronary Artery

The aim. To study the long-term results of stenting in patients with coronary artery disease with hemodynamically significant left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenoses.
 Materials and methods. The study included 67 patients (56 men, 11 women) with a mean age of 63 ± 2.1 years.
 Results. Among the 67 patients included in the study, 29 patients (43.3%) underwent percutaneous coronary inter-vention using a single-stent technique. These were patients with ostial LMCA lesions, lesions of the middle third of the LMCA and some patients with Medina 1.1.0; 1.0.1; 1.0.0; 0.1.0; 0.0.1 lesions of the distal part of the LMCA. The median follow-up was 2 years. Using a questionnaire, we managed to establish contact with 25 patients (86.2%). Among these, 1 patient (3.4%) died of non-cardiac causes and 7 patients (24.1%) had a recurrence of angina within 2 years. The causes of angina recurrence in 2 cases (6.9%) were restenosis in the stent with transition to the mouth of the side branch, which required repeated stenting of the LMCA with transition to the left circumflex artery. In 5 patients (17.2%), angina recur-rence was associated with progression of coronary atherosclerosis of another localization.
 Among 67 patients with LMCA stenting, the two-stent technique was used in 38 patients (56.7%). These were pa-tients with Medina 1.1.0; 1.0.1; 1.0.0; 0.1.0; 0.0.1 lesions of the distal part of the LMCA. The median follow-up was 2 years. Using a questionnaire, we managed to contact 35 patients (92.1%). Among these, 4 patients (10.5%) died, but only one of them due to cardiac causes (2.6%), and 3 patients (7.9%) had recurrent angina within 2 years, two of whom underwent stenting by the T and protrusion (TAP) technique and one by culotte. The first two patients underwent angioplasty of restenosis in stents using balloons with a therapeutic coating. In the last patient, stent recoil in the left circumflex artery mouth was observed due to severe calcification, so this patient underwent re-implantation of the stent system in the recoil zone.
 Conclusions. The problem of choosing a method of revascularization for patients with hemodynamically significant LMCA lesions remains controversial to this day, despite the wide range of evidence. Doctors should jointly decide on the choice of treatment methodology solely in the interests of the patient, taking into account all the factors that may affect the patient’s quality of life in the long term.

Retrospective Multicenter Analysis of Intravascular Lithotripsy Use During Calcified Left Main Coronary Artery Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

BackgroundIntravascular lithotripsy (IVL) safely and effectively modifies calcified coronary lesions during percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Data regarding its utility in modifying calcified left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease are limited. This study aimed to evaluate short-term outcomes of IVL-assisted LMCA PCI. MethodsThis retrospective multicenter all-comers study analyzed patients who underwent intravascular imaging-guided, IVL-assisted PCI for calcified LMCA disease. Clinical and procedural characteristics were obtained, including intravascular imaging measurements. Technical success was defined as successful stent deployment with <30% residual diameter stenosis. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization evaluated immediately postprocedure and at 30-day follow-up. ResultsAmong 184 patients treated at 7 centers from 2019-2023, IVL-assisted LMCA PCI achieved 99.4% technical success. Calcium fracture was identified in 136/165 cases (82.4%) on post-IVL imaging. Pretreatment minimal luminal area increased significantly compared to post-PCI minimal stent area (MSA) (4.1 ± 1.3 to 9.3 ± 2.5 mm2, respectively; P < .001). There was a direct correlation between IVL balloon size and the final MSA (P = .002). In-hospital MACE was 4.4% and 30-day MACE was 8.8%. In multivariate logistic regression, presentation with troponin-positive myocardial infarction was the sole predictor of 30-day MACE. ConclusionsIVL-assisted PCI for calcified LMCA lesions was safe and resulted in high technical success rates, confirming its utility as an effective treatment in this challenging lesion subset.

Intravascular ultrasound application in the evaluation of left main coronary artery lesions

Although atherosclerotic left main coronary artery stenosis (LMCA) has a low rate in the coronary angiography series, they have significant cardiovascular mortality and morbidity rates because their disease affects a significant proportion of the myocardium. Therefore, in severe cases (?50% stenosis of the LMCA), coronary artery bypass grafting is the revascularization of choice. However, assessing LMCA disease severity involves anatomical and technical challenges. Coronary intravascular ultrasound may help to overcome these difficulties. In this article, we report a 73-year-old case of LMCA disease that was considered to be severe by visual assessment of coronary angiography, and surgical intervention was abandoned because of a minimal lumen area of more than 6 mm2 when IVUS was performed.

Accuracy of the angiography-based quantitative flow ratio in intermediate left main coronary artery lesions and comparison with visual estimation

BackgroundRevascularization of left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis is mostly based on angiography. Indices based on angiography might increase accuracy of the decision, although they have been scarcely used in LMCA. The objective of this study is to study the diagnostic agreement of QFR (quantitative flow ratio) with wire-based fractional flow reserve (FFR) in LMCA lesions and to compare with visual severity assessment. MethodsIn a series of patients with invasive FFR assessment of intermediate LMCA stenoses we retrospectively compared the measured value of QFR with that of FFR and the estimate of significance from angiography. Results107 QFR studies were included. The QFR intra-observer and inter-observer agreement was 87% and 82% respectively. The mean QFR-FFR difference was 0.047 ± 0.05 with a concordance of 90.7%, sensitivity 88.1%, specificity 92.3%, positive predictive value 88.1% and negative predictive value 92.3%. All these values were superior to those observed with the visual estimation which showed an intra- and inter-observer agreement of 73% and 72% respectively, besides 78% with the FFR value. The low diagnostic performance of the visual estimation and the acceptable performance of the QFR index measurement were observed in all subgroups analysed. ConclusionsQFR allows an acceptable estimate of the FFR obtained with intracoronary pressure guidewire in intermediate LMCA lesions, and clearly superior to the assessment based on angiography alone. The decision to revascularize patients with moderate LMCA lesions should not be based solely on the degree of angiographic stenosis.

Immediate outcome after percutaneous coronary revascularization in STEMI for left main coronary artery lesions

Background: Acute coronary syndrome with ST elevation (STEMI) with a lesion in the left main coronary artery (LMCA) occurs infrequently; moreover, patients are at very high risk for mortality. However, limited data are available regarding the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of patients presenting with LM-STEMI treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (LM-PCI STEMI). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate patient clinical and procedure factors associated with in-hospital outcomes in LM-STEMI patients undergoing PPCI in a real-life registry. Material and methods: From 439 consecutive patients with LM disease treated with PCI in the prospective single-center Acibadem City Clinic UMHAT Tokuda registry enrolled between March 2013 and October 2022, we identifi ed 35 LM-PCI STEMI patients (8%). We analyzed baseline demographic, coronary lesion characteristics, procedural details and success, and in-hospital mortality. Results: Among 35 LM-STEMI patients, the mean age was 66.0 &amp;plusmn; 16 years, and 69% were male &amp;ndash; forty percent presented with cardiogenic shock (CS). The risk profi le of the overall study population was relatively high (mean Euro Score (ES) was 19.1 &amp;plusmn; 22, while 54.3% were high risk with ES &gt; 6). Radial access had a remarkably high proportion (68.6%), regardlessof coronary anatomic complexity being intermediate to high (mean Syntax Score (SS) was 29.5 &amp;plusmn; 8,15, 42,9% had SS &amp;ge; 32). The distal LM bifurcation was most commonly involved (82.9%), yet the provisional strategy (85.7%) was most often employed during emergent PCI. The observed overall in-hospital mortality rate was 25.7% (64.3% in pts presenting with CS vs. 23.5% without CS, p = 0.0166). Conclusion: STEMI from culprit LMCA lesion is associated with signifi cant mortality. Emergent LM PCI in unselected patients, including cardiogenic shock, is an appropriate and feasible treatment option for this high-risk group, with acceptable mortality and in-hospital survival rates.

Efficacy of intravascular ultrasound versus coronary angiographic guided drug-eluting stent implantation in the treatment of left main coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis

Objective: To compare the efficacy of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and coronary angiography guided drug eluting stent (DES) implantation for the treatment of left main coronary artery (LMCA) lesions. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) and observational studies, which compared IVUS with coronary angiography guided DES implantation for the treatment of LMCA lesions published before August 2021 were searched in PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases. Baseline data, interventional procedures and endpoint events of each study were collected. The primary endpoint was major cardiovascular adverse events (MACE), and the secondary endpoints were all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR) and target vessel revascularization (TVR). The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool were used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. Results: Nine studies were included, including 3 RCT and 6 observational studies, with a total of 5 527 cases of LMCA. All the 6 observational studies had NOS scores≥6, and the 3 RCT had a low risk of overall bias. The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with coronary angiography guided group, MACE rate (OR=0.55, 95%CI 0.47-0.66, P<0.001), all-cause death (OR=0.56, 95%CI 0.43-0.74, P<0.001), cardiac death (OR=0.43, 95%CI 0.30-0.61, P<0.001), MI (OR=0.64, 95%CI 0.52-0.79, P<0.001), TLR (OR=0.49, 95%CI 0.28-0.86, P=0.013) and TVR (OR=0.77, 95%CI 0.60-0.98, P=0.037) were all significantly lower in the IVUS guided group. Conclusions: Compared with angiography guided, IVUS guided PCI with DES implantation in LMCA lesions could significantly reduce the risk of MACE, death, MI, TLR and TVR. IVUS is thus superior to coronary angiography for guiding PCI treatment among patients with LMCA.

ECG patterns suggestive of high-risk coronary anatomy in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome - an analysis of real-world patients.

Electrocardiographic (ECG) patterns suggestive of high-risk coronary anatomy are indications for an urgent invasive approach in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). To estimate the frequency of the observed phenomenon and assess the clinical characteristics of NSTE-ACS subjects associated with Wellens syndrome, the de Winter sign, or ST-segment depressions by ≥ 1 mm in ≥ 6 classic ECG leads with simultaneous ST-segment elevation in aVR and/or V1. Out of 207 pre-screened subjects diagnosed with NSTE-ACS, 64 patients (26 women and 38 men) with complete medical records (including admission ECG and coronary angiography during the index hospitalization), and significant culprit stenosis or occlusion of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) or the proximal/middle segment of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) entered the final analysis. Clinical characteristics of patients exhibiting any of the high-risk ECG patterns was compared to their counterparts with significant lesions in LMCA or proximal/middle LAD without any of the high-risk ECG patterns. Among 64 patients with significant culprit lesions in LMCA or LAD, 19 (29.69%) exhibited one of the high-risk ECG patterns: Wellens syndrome (n = 10), the de Winter sign (n = 0), or multiple ST-segment depressions (n = 9). Clinical characteristics were comparable in 19 NSTE-ACS patients with the high-risk ECG patterns and their 45 counterparts. Because ECG patterns suggestive of high-risk coronary anatomy are relatively frequent in patients with NSTE-ACS and culprit lesions in LMCA or LAD, their early recognition is of clinical importance.

Drug-coated balloon-only strategy for percutaneous coronary intervention of de novo left main coronary artery disease: the importance of proper lesion preparation.

This retrospective single-center registry study included all consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for a de novo left main coronary artery lesion using drug coated-balloon (DCB)-only strategy between August 2011 and December 2018. To best of our knowledge, no previous studies of DCB-only strategy of treating de novo left main coronary artery disease, exist. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) including cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization (TLR). The cohort was divided into two groups depending on weather the lesion preparation was done according to the international consensus group guidelines. Sixty-six patients (mean age 75±8.6, 72% male), 52% of whom had acute coronary syndrome, underwent left main PCI with the DCB-only strategy. No procedural mortality and no acute closures of the treated left main occurred. At 12 months, MACE and TLR occurred in 24% and 6% of the whole cohort, respectively. If the lesion preparation was done according to the guidelines, the MACE and TLR rates were 21.2% and 1.9%. Left main PCI with the DCB only-strategy is safe leading to acceptable MACE and low TLR rates at one year, if the lesion preparation is done according to the guidelines.

Prevalence and Outcomes of Percutaneous Interventions in Left Main Coronary Artery lesions in a Tertiary Care Centre

Prevalence and Outcomes of Percutaneous Interventions in Left Main Coronary Artery lesions in a Tertiary Care Centre

Impact of residual coronary lesions on outcomes of myocardial infarction patients with multi-vessel disease

Abstract Background Interest grew in residual disease burden after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The residual SYNTAX score (rSS) is a strong prognostic factor of coronary events and all-cause death in patients who underwent PCI. Its derivative, the SYNTAX Revascularisation Index (SRI), has been used in determining the proportion of coronary artery disease (CAD) that has been treated and has been shown to have prognostic utility in PCI for patients with multi-vessel disease (MVD). Purpose We sought to assess the use of the rSS and the SRI as predictors for in-hospital outcomes and up to two-year follow-up outcomes in patients with MVD who underwent PCI in the setting of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) or Non-STEMI (NSTEMI). Methods We recruited 149 patients with either STEMI or NSTEMI in the setting of MVD who underwent PCI. We divided them into tertiles, based on their rSS and SRI values, respectively. We calculated bSS and rSS using the latest version of the web-based calculator, and from these scores we calculated SRI. The endpoints were: In-hospital composite MACE and its components, in-hospital mortality, follow-up MACE, and follow-up all-cause mortality up to 2-years. Results RSS and SRI were not significant predictors of in-hospital death or MACE, while hypertension, ST-segment resolution, LVEF, and significant left main coronary artery (LMCA) lesions were independent predictors of in-hospital MACE. At two-year follow-up, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed significantly increased incidence of death and MACE within the third rSS tertile (rSS &amp;gt;12) compared to the other tertiles (log rank p&amp;lt;0.001), while there was no significant difference between the three SRI tertiles. RSS and SRI were predictors of death and MACE on univariate Cox regression analysis. On multivariate Cox regression, rSS was an independent predictor for MACE (HR=1.0696, 95% CI: 1.0147–1.1275, p=0.0123) and all-cause mortality (HR=1.1114, 95% CI: 1.0430–1.1842, p=0.0011). Of notice, all patients with complete revascularisation survived throughout the entire follow-up period. Conclusions The rSS and SRI were poor predictors of in-hospital death and MACE, while they were good predictors of death and MACE at two-year follow-up, with better overall performance for rSS in comparison to SRI. Patients with rSS values &amp;gt;12 showed significantly higher incidence of MACE and all-cause mortality at two years. The best prognosis was achieved with complete revascularisation. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Comparative efficacy of eight therapeutic methods in the treatment of left main coronary artery disease: a Bayesian network meta-analysis protocol

IntroductionAs for coronary artery bypass grafting, although there are many direct comparative studies on different minimally invasive methods and traditional thoracotomy (off-pump/on-pump), there is still a lack of further ranking...

P201 PURSUING COMPLETENESS OF CORONARY REVASCULARIZATION IN ACUTE SETTING: TIMING AND STRATEGIES

Abstract Patient Presentation A 59 y/o male with history of arterial hypertension and allergic asthma was admitted to our Coronary Care Unit because he went to a spoke emergency department after complaining oppressive and not continuous chest pain for a couple of hours travelling up to the left arm. Increase in cardiac troponin and mild ST–elevation in D3 lead were found. At the spoke cardiology department was treated with intravenous nitrates with relief and Ticagrelor loading dose was administered. He underwent two coronary angiographies, the first one aimed to treat the culprit lesion and the second one to complete revascularization before discharge Management: A heart ultrasound (US) described normal left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) with some of the right coronary segments akinesis. The first coronary angiography showed eccentric stenosis (80%) of distal right coronary artery (RCA) with endoluminal thrombosis; intraluminal filling defect of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) which request Optical Coherence Tomography evaluation that showed plaque rupture and red thrombus of LMCA; chronic total occlusion of left anterior descending artery (LAD) with several stenosis up to the apical segments. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist infusion was started, and we’ve been forced to treat first the LMCA with drug–eluting stent and then the culprit lesion with angioplasty and two drug–eluting stents complicated by intrastent thrombosis treated with mechanic and rheolytic thrombectomy. Seven days later rotational atherectomy was performed due to LAD artery’s severe calcifications complicated by LMCA intrastent thrombosis caused by stenting crush; cardiopulmonary arrest occurred. Impella ventricular assist device was placed. After LMCA stent optimization, one more drug–eluting stent was placed. Eight days later, heart US described LVEF 37% with apex and right coronary segments hypo–akinesis. Discussion According to latest NSTEMI guidelines, a single stage pursuing of completeness revascularization on multiple vessel disease would have been the best option. In this case, completeness of revascularization hasn’t been achievable due to LMCA plaque rupture. From a technical point of view, considering the complexity of the few days earlier treated LMCA lesion, proximal to LAD lesions we were going to treat, it would have been suitable waiting about four weeks to complete stent endothelization. By the way, it would have been out–guidelines approach.

State-of-the-art development of anatomical and clinical-anatomical scores for choosing a myocardial revascularization strategy based on the SYNTAX study

Treatment of patients with multivessel coronary artery disease is percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting according to current European and American guidelines. Depending on the anatomical complexity of the coronary artery lesion, one of the methods is chosen, with usage of a risk scale based on the SYNTAX study. However, Syntax score is actively discussed as not an optimal risk scale, because of unmatched with modern clinical possibilities This article presents current, different opinions on anatomical and clino-anatomical risk scores, which allows to choose the optimal method of revascularization for patients with three-vessel disease and/or left main coronary artery lesions.

State-of-the-art development of anatomical and clinical-anatomical scores for choosing a myocardial revascularization strategy based on the SYNTAX study

Treatment of patients with multivessel coronary artery disease is percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting according to current European and American guidelines. Depending on the anatomical complexity of the coronary artery lesion, one of the methods is chosen, with usage of a risk scale based on the SYNTAX study. However, Syntax score is actively discussed as not an optimal risk scale, because of unmatched with modern clinical possibilities This article presents current, different opinions on anatomical and clino-anatomical risk scores, which allows to choose the optimal method of revascularization for patients with three-vessel disease and/or left main coronary artery lesions.

A Novel Electrocardiographic Score Predicts the Severity of Coronary Artery Disease and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Non-ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

There are many electrocardiographic (ECG) changes in non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). However, the diagnostic power is limited in determining the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and clinical outcomes. This study investigated the role of a risk-based ECG score in predicting the severity of CAD and clinical outcomes in NSTEMI patients. One hundred and fifty-two patients were enrolled in the study. Severe CAD was defined as; intermediate (> 22) or high SYNTAX score (> 32), three-vessel disease, and left main coronary artery lesions. A risk-based ECG score was calculated, and the patients were categorized. All patients were followed up, and mortality and repeat revascularizations were evaluated. The severe CAD group had a significantly higher risk-based ECG score than the non-severe CAD group (p = 0.013). The patients with a high risk-based ECG score had more severe CAD (p = 0.013), higher SYNTAX score (p < 0.001), more three-vessel disease (p = 0.003), coronary artery calcification (p = 0.02), and one-year mortality (p = 0.006) than those with medium or low ECG scores. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a 1-point increase in the risk-based ECG score was associated with a 1.573-fold [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.111-2.227, p = 0.011] increase probability of severe CAD. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that the high-risk group had a significantly higher one-year mortality rate than the low-risk and moderate-risk groups (hazard ratio: 2.383, 95% CI: 1.395-4.072, p = 0.001). This study demonstrated that higher ECG scores were associated with a higher risk of severe CAD and worse clinical outcomes in NSTEMI patients.

Análise dos desfechos em intervenção coronária percutânea de tronco de coronária esquerda não protegido

Background: Significant lesions in the left main coronary artery are found in approximately 5% of patients undergoing coronary angiography, with most cases involving multiple vessels and affecting the distal bifurcation. A coronary artery bypass graft surgery is considered the preferred treatment for unprotected left main coronary artery lesions. However, with the advancement of techniques and the introduction of new drug-eluting stents, percutaneous coronary intervention has been considered a viable strategy, with favorable results. The objective of this study was to analyze the outcomes in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery lesions undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods: Electronic data from patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention between December 2017 and January 2020 at a single center were analyzed to assess clinical and angiographic characteristics and clinical outcomes. Results: A total of 103 patients with significant unprotected left main coronary artery lesions were included; in that, 66% were male, 88.3% were hypertensive, and 87.4% had normal ventricular function. Lesions involving the bifurcation were identified in 73.8% of patients, 36.9% had concomitant lesions in the three major epicardial vessels, and 42.7% had an intermediate SYNTAX score (23 to 32 points). Angiographic success was achieved in 100% of cases, with four (3.9%) adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, with 2.9% mortality. Conclusion: Hospital results support percutaneous coronary intervention as a safe procedure, with excellent angiographic results and low rates of adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events. We concluded that PCI is an option to coronary artery bypass graft surgery and is a very viable option for surgical treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery lesions.

Five-Year Outcomes After Fractional Flow Reserve–Based Deferral of Revascularization in Chronic Coronary Syndrome: Final Results From the J-CONFIRM Registry

Little large-scale data is available about the long-term (beyond 3 years) clinical outcomes after fractional flow reserve (FFR)-based deferral of revascularization in clinical practice. We sought to assess the 5-year outcomes after deferral of revascularization based on FFR. The J-CONFIRM registry (Long-Term Outcomes of Japanese Patients With Deferral of Coronary Intervention Based on Fractional Flow Reserve in Multicenter Registry) prospectively enrolled 1263 patients with 1447 lesions in whom revascularization was deferred based on FFR from 28 Japanese centers. The primary study end point was the cumulative 5-year incidence of target vessel failure (TVF), including cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, and clinically driven target vessel revascularization. Five-year follow-up was completed in 92.2% of patients. The 5-year TVF rate was 11.6% in deferred lesions, mainly driven by clinically driven target vessel revascularization (9.8%). Cardiac death and target vessel-related myocardial infarction were 1.9% and 0.95%, respectively. Cumulative 5-year incidence of TVF was similar between the FFR 0.75 to 0.80 and 0.81 to 0.85 groups even after adjustment for baseline characteristics (12.2% versus 13.0%, inverse probability-weighted hazard ratio, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.46-1.60]; P=0.63). Compared with the almost normal FFR (0.86-1.00) group, the significant (<0.75) and borderline (0.75-0.85) FFR groups showed a higher incidence of TVF at 5 years (29.9% versus 12.8% versus 8.6%, P<0.001). Independent predictors of the 5-year TVF were hemodialysis, FFR value, left main coronary artery lesion, prior percutaneous coronary intervention, and male sex. The 5-year TVF rate was 11.6% in deferred lesions, mainly driven by clinically driven target vessel revascularization. Notably, cardiac death and target vessel-related myocardial infarction rarely occurred during the follow-up. Our findings highlight the long-term safety of FFR-based deferral of revascularization in patients with chronic coronary syndrome. Registration: URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr; Unique identifier: UMIN000014473.