Over-the-wire Research Articles

Abstract 012: Percutaneous Carotid Access and Closure System for Acute Revascularization and Endovascular Therapy (PCAR)

Introduction/Purpose Tortuosity can infrequently impact femoral or radial vascular access for thrombectomy or thrombaspiration. Direct carotid access (DCA) is a well‐known technique safely used for diagnostic angiography studies for > 60 years. However, the limitation for endovascular procedures using a DCA is that it requires manual artery compression or surgery to close the access site. Off‐label use of currently approved percutaneous closure devices has resulted in more than 20% of dissections, neck hematoma, stroke, and death. More recently, transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR), which involves an incision in the neck, has been used for direct carotid access for acute stroke patients. Material and Methods We have developed a percutaneous 8 Fr OD, 9 Fr ID, kink‐resistance soft‐tip super flexible thin‐line access sheath using a 0.018” microwire with a unique flush‐through atraumatic dilator for angiography without the need to remove micro‐guide wire and suture DCA closure system based on a single suture with an Auto‐Knot feature. The one‐step integrated access sheath and closure device eliminates external exchanges. The thin‐line access sheath has a distal radiopaque and echogenic marker and a side port for an over‐the‐wire (OTW) deployment of suture, allowing constant preservation of the access to the carotid artery during closure. Results Preclinical benchtop and animal studies using ultrasound for DCA and the access sheath and closure system showed successful reliability of the single suture and Auto‐Knot system and sealing of the 8Fr access. The animals were subjected to arterial hypertension and placed on anticoagulation to simulate clinically challenging conditions. No dissections of the common carotid arteries were seen. A preliminary clinical safety study is ongoing and will be presented. Our experience shows a short learning curve for physicians of less than 5 minutes with shortened procedural time to access the brain for acute revascularization for stroke patients with minimal blood loss during the closure due to the ease of use of the closure device. Conclusions A simplified direct carotid large bore access and closure system may eliminate delay in access for thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke. It allows for a percutaneous temporary flow arrest and reversal for carotid stenting and enables robotic‐assisted direct access to the carotid artery.

Local ventricular activation at the distal great cardiac vein determines right- and left-sided approach for catheter ablation of outflow tract arrhythmias: a simple and rapid discriminator

Abstract Background When the precordial transition zone (TZ) of idiopathic outflow tract arrhythmias (OTAs) is present around lead V3, it may be difficult to precisely determine which outflow tract is responsible for the origin of the OTAs from the ECG characteristics. Purpose We hypothesized that mapping around the distal portion of the great cardiac vein (dGCV) would be useful for identifying which outflow tract is the origin of OTAs during radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA). Methods Among 28 OTA patients who underwent dGCV mapping and successful RFA at our institution from June 2021 to February 2024, 16 whose TZ during the OTAs was ＞lead V2 and ＜lead V4 were included in this study. In all patients, activation mapping around the dGCV with the novel 2.7 Fr over-the-wire (OTW)-type decapolar catheter was performed during the OTAs. Results In all patients, the mapping catheter could be easily placed in the dGCV. In patients whose OTAs were successfully ablated from the left-sided OT (n=7), the local ventricular activation time in the dGCV during OTAs preceded the QRS onset (LAT-dGCV) by -26.1±7.0 msec, which was significantly earlier than that of OTAs successfully ablated from the right-sided OT (n=9; -4.0±5.7 msec; p<0.001). An LAT-dGCV >-18 msec indicated a left-sided OTA, and right-sided and left-sided OTAs were completely distinct. Patients with an LAT-dGCV >-18 msec and mapping initiated first in the left-sided OT had shorter procedure times than those with mapping initiated first in the right-sided OT (p<0.001). Conclusions Mapping the dGCV with this OTW-type catheter is easy and safe. The earliness of the local ventricular activation in the dGCV during OTAs could easily and precisely differentiate between right-sided and left-sided OTAs, resulting in a successful ablation with a shorter procedure time.

Efficacy of a novel method: VaSodilator injection via the Over-the-wire lumen during drug-coated balloon dilatation to Prevent the slow-flow phenomenon in treatment of femoropopliteal lesions.

In drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty for femoropopliteal lesions, there are adverse effects of drug embolization on downstream non-target organs following the slow-flow phenomenon. We devised a novel method, known as VaSodilator injection via the Over-the-wire lumen during DCB dilatation to Prevent the slow-flow phenomenon in treatment of femoropopliteal lesions (V.S.O.P.), and evaluated its efficacy and safety. This single-center, retrospective, observational study analyzed 196 femoropopliteal lesions treated with IN.PACT Admiral between April 2018 and July 2023. The IN.PACT Admiral is a DCB consisting of a 0.035-inch over-the-wire (OTW) lumen balloon coated with high-dose paclitaxel. Regarding the V.S.O.P. method, we injected vasodilators through the OTW lumen during DCB dilation of the lesions. The cohort was classified into two groups according to the use of the V.S.O.P. method (V.S.O.P. group: n = 53; non-V.S.O.P. group: n = 143). The V.S.O.P. group had lower rates of hemodialysis (21% vs. 43%, p = 0.01) and higher rates of critical limb-threatening ischemia (56% vs. 23%, p < 0.01) and severe calcification lesions (Peripheral Arterial Calcium Scoring Systems score 3/4) (53% vs. 34%, p = 0.01) than the non-V.S.O.P. group. The occurrence of the slow-flow phenomenon was significantly lower in the V.S.O.P. group than in the non-V.S.O.P. group. The V.S.O.P. method could be an effective method for preventing the slow-flow phenomenon after DCB angioplasty for femoropopliteal lesions.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Reported Adverse Events and Device Failures Associated with Esophageal Self-Expandable Metal Stents: An FDA MAUDE Database Study.

Esophageal Stents are used to maintain esophageal lumen patency in esophageal strictures caused by intrinsic and/or extrinsic malignancies and the occlusion of concomitant esophageal fistulas. While data on the efficacy and safety of esophageal stents exist, comprehensive evaluation of adverse events is limited. The aim of this study is to investigate the reported adverse events and device failures associated with esophageal self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) using the FDA's Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database. Post-marketing surveillance data for the esophageal SEMSs were analyzed using the FDA's MAUDE database from January 2014 to December 10, 2023. The outcomes of interest were patient-related adverse events and device failures. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2010 and SPSS. Pooled numbers and percentages were calculated for each adverse event. Continuous variables underwent analysis using a two-tailed student t test, and significance was set to p ≤ 0.05. During the study period, 548 MAUDE reports revealed 873 device failures and 186 patient-related adverse events. The most common device issues were stent activation, positioning, or separation problems (4 n = 403; 46.2%), followed by device detachment or migration (n = 109, 12.5%), and material problems (n = 93, 10.7%). Patient complications included dysphagia/odynophagia (10%), perforation, pain, and bleeding (each 7.6%). The most common device failures in over-the-wire (OTW) stents and through-the-scope (TTS) stents were activation, positioning, or separation problems (TTS: n = 183, 52.6% vs OTW: n = 220, 41.9%). Compared to OTW stents, TTS stents had higher migration and breakage (13.5% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.24), and (9.2% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.08) respectively, while OTW stents had more challenges with stent advancement or removal (5.1% vs. 0.3%, p < 0.001 and 4.6% vs 3.4%, p = 0.19, respectively) and material problems (14.7% vs. 4.6%, p < 0.001). Activation, positioning, and separation problems were the most frequent device failures in fully covered (FC) and partially covered (PC) stents (FC: n = 62, 32.8%, PC: n = 168, 43.5%). FC stents had higher migration rates (20.6% vs 9.8%, p < 0.001), while PC stents exhibited more material problems (17.4% vs. 5.8%, p < 0.001) and difficulties with advancing the stents (6.7% vs. 0%, p < 0.001). Our examination showed a prevalence of reported device complications associated with stent activation, positioning, and separation problems. Dysphagia or odynophagia emerged as the most frequently reported patient complication. Furthermore, our analysis, provides insights into TTS vs. OTW and FC vs. PC esophageal SEMSs, enabling endoscopists and manufacturers to better understand adverse events and potentially optimize device design for future iterations.

Feasibility and Safety of Through-the-scope versus Over-the-wire Stents for the Palliation of Malignant Dysphagia. A Cohort Real- Life Study.

In the presence of malignant dysphagia in non-surgical candidates, a self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) represents a safe and effective approach. Recently, a through-the-scope (TTS) SEMS was launched. The aim of our study was to assess the feasibility and safety of the TTS versus over-the-wire (OTW) SEMS in patients with malignant dysphagia. This single-center retrospective cohort study included patients with malignant dysphagia undergoing esophageal TTS and OTW-SEMS from 2012 to May-2022. The primary outcomes were the technical and the clinical success of the SEMS placement. Secondary outcomes included adverse events, patency, and survival. Patients were prospectively followed until death or loss of follow-up. A total of 98 patients were enrolled, including 34 patients in the TTS group and 64 patients in the OTW group. TTS and OTW SEMS placement were feasible in 33 (97.1%) and 64 (100%) procedures , respectively (p=0.118). Overall, 32 patients (94.1%) in the TTS group and 62 patients (96.9%) in the OTW group showed an improvement in Ogilvie score (p=0.432). Recurrent dysphagia occurred in 30 patients, 12 in TTS group and 18 in OTW group, due to migration (4 vs. 5), stent deformation (1 vs. 1), tissue ingrowth (5 vs. 5) and overgrowth (2 vs. 7). No patient died from a stent-related cause. Median survival was 123 days (IQR: 59-209) in TTS group and 113 days (IQR: 73-271) in OTW group (p=0.349). Placement of esophageal TTS and OTW stents resulted in similar technical and clinical outcomes, stent patency and survival in patients with malignant dysphagia.

Dynamical improvement after rescue balloon angioplasty for pulmonary vein occlusion complicated with radiofrequency catheter ablation.

A 71-year-old man was referred to our hospital owing to hemoptysis. Pulmonary vein (PV) isolation by radiofrequency ablation with atrial fibrillation was performed twice 3 years prior. Bronchoscopy revealed a left bronchial hemorrhage (Figure A). Multidetector computed tomography (CT) revealed left superior and inferior PV (LIPV) occlusion (Figure B). There was reduced perfusion to the left upper and inferior lobes in Tc-99m macroaggregated albumin (MAA) (Figure D). First, the pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) was measured as 59/30 (42) mmHg, and PA angiography showed LIPV occlusion (Figure F, Supplementary data online, Movie S1). After a transseptal puncture, a 5 Fr multipurpose catheter was inserted through a deflectable sheath (Agilis, Abbott) near the LIPV occlusion site. A 0.035 in Radifocus guidewire and 5 Fr multipurpose catheter were successfully crossed into the LIPV occlusion, and then PV angiography showed LIPV occlusion (Figure G). A 0.014 in guidewire was exchanged with a microcatheter. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) showed a soft tissue-like hypoechoic lesion at the LIPV ostium (Figures 1 and 2, Supplementary data online, Movie S2). A successful balloon angioplasty was performed using two over-the-wire (OTW) balloons (4.0/40 mm and 6.0/20 mm) (Figure H); LIPV was fully dilated on PV angiography (Figure I) and IVUS (Figure 3, Supplementary data online, Movie S3).

Technical advantages of a novel flow diverter in complex flow diversion: patient series.

The Surpass Streamline flow diverter (SSFD) possesses 4 attributes that may offer an important advantage in the treatment of complex pathologies: (1) utilization of an over-the-wire (OTW) delivery system, (2) greater device length, (3) larger potential diameter, and (4) propensity to open in tortuosity. Case 1 leveraged device diameter to embolize a large, recurrent vertebral artery aneurysm. Angiography at 1 year posttreatment showed complete occlusion with a patent SSFD. Case 2 leveraged device length and opening in tortuosity to manage a symptomatic 20-mm cavernous carotid aneurysm. Magnetic resonance imaging at 2 years demonstrated aneurysm thrombosis and patent stents. Case 3 utilized diameter, length, and the OTW delivery system to treat a giant intracranial aneurysm previously treated with surgical ligation and a high-flow bypass procedure. Angiography at 5 months postprocedure demonstrated the return of laminar flow, as the vein graft had healed around the stent construct. Case 4 used diameter, length, and the OTW system to treat a giant, symptomatic, dolichoectatic vertebrobasilar aneurysm. Twelve-month follow-up imaging revealed a patent stent construct with no change to the aneurysm size. Increased awareness of the unique attributes of the SSFD may allow a larger number of cases to be treated with the proven mechanism of flow diversion.

Initial experience of novel over the wire type decapolar catheter for ventricular arrhythmias originating from left ventricular summit.

Previously, direct monitoring of local activation at the communicating vein (CV) has been reported to be useful for the ablation of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) originating from the left ventricular (LV) summit. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the novel over-the-wire (OTW)-type decapolar catheter for VAs originating from the LV summit. Overall, 17 patients who underwent catheter ablation for idiopathic VAs originating from the LV summit were included in this study. Of these, seven patients underwent mapping of the epicardial LV outflow tract with the novel 2.7 Fr OTW-type decapolar catheter (EPstar FIX AIV), and ten underwent mapping with the standard 2.0 Fr octopolar catheter (EPstar FIX 2F) procedure (AIV group = EPstar FIX AIV and control group = EPstar FIX 2F). No significant differences in the baseline characteristics were observed between the two groups. In the AIV group, all patients achieved successful catheter positioning in the target CV, whereas in the control group, two patients failed to achieve the same. The novel catheter not only advanced to the target vessels using a 0.014-in guidewire but it was also used for contrast injection from the catheter lumen, which enabled accurate and safe positioning. As a result, the earliest activation time preceding QRS onset during the VA, recorded at the CV, was significantly earlier when compared with the control group (44.66 ± 11.23ms vs. 32.16 ± 4.26ms, P = 0.007). Compared with the conventional electrode catheter, this novel multipolar electrode catheter is more effective for mapping local activation at the CV.

Usefulness of the over-the-wire microelectrodes catheter in treatment of ventricular arrhythmia arising from the left ventricular summit.

This study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of the over-the-wire (OTW) microelectrodes catheter in coronary venous system (CVS) mapping and treatment of outflow tract ventricular arrhythmia (OTVA) arising from the vicinity of the left ventricular summit (LVS). Consecutive 62 patients with idiopathic OTVA in whom the OTW microelectrodes catheter was routinely used for CVS mapping were analyzed. CVS mapping was performed for both main trunk (from great cardiac vein to anterior interventricular vein) and branches including the annular branch or septal branch. The earliest activation site (EAS) was within the CVS in 21 patients. Among them, the EAS was within the main trunk of the CVS in seven (33%) and within the branch of the CVS in 14 (67%) patients. Radiofrequency catheter ablation was started at an anatomically adjacent site to the EAS, which eliminated OTVA in 16 (76%) patients (the endocardial LVOT in 10 and the aortic sinus of Valsalva in six patients). For the remaining five patients with unsuccessful catheter ablation at an anatomically adjacent site, targeted OTVA was eliminated by catheter ablation at the EAS within the CVS in two patients and by chemical ablation with ethanol injection in one patient, resulting in the overall success rate of 90% (19/21). The OTW microelectrodes-guided ablation of OTVA from the vicinity of the LVS was effective. In maximizing the efficacy of ablation, CVS branch mapping is important since the earliest activation was commonly recorded not in the main trunk but within the branch of the CVS.

Locked Nucleic Acid AntimiR Therapy for the Heart.

Coronary heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in industrialized nations. Even though revascularization strategies improved the outcome of patients after acute myocardial infarction, about 30% of patients develop chronic heart failure. Ischemic heart disease and heart failure are characterized by an adverse remodeling of the heart, featuring cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, increased fibrosis, and capillary rarefaction. Therefore, novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of heart failure, such as reducing ischemia/reperfusion injury, fibrosis, or hypertrophy, are needed. Here microRNAs (miRNAs) come into play. For heart failure, cardiac stress and several cardiovascular diseases, individual miRNAs, and whole miRNA clusters have been implicated as disease relevant and dysregulated. miRNAs are short non-coding RNA molecules of about 22 nucleotides, and their inhibitors are 8-15 nucleotides long plus a sugar-ring (LNA, locked nucleid acid) or cholesterol ending (AntagomiR). Modulation of miRNAs might serve as therapeutic targets through miRNA knockdown or overexpression via miRNA mimics. Due to their pleiotropic mode of action and the presence of individual miRNAs in a variety of tissues and cells, a local, target region-oriented application is important to achieve therapeutic effects and at the same time reducing adverse effects in other off-target organs and tissues. Due to their small size, the miRNA inhibitors are able to pass endothelial barrier at both arterial and venous sides of the bloodstream vessels. For these reasons, the gold standard administration route of miRNA modulators for therapeutic approaches of the left ventricle is the anterograde application into one or both coronary arteries via an over-the-wire (OTW) balloon. In this chapter we provide a comprehensive description of the anterograde application procedure in a large animal model such as pig. Of a particular note, this methodology is a standard procedure in catheter laboratories, a key characteristic that allows therapeutic translation from large animals to patients.

The Real-World CONSEQUENT ALL COMERS Study: Predictors for Target Lesion Revascularization and Mortality in an Unselected Patient Population.

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of a resveratrol-paclitaxel-coated peripheral balloon catheter in an all-comer patient cohort undergoing endovascular treatment of above-the-knee and below-the-knee peripheral artery disease. CONSEQUENT ALL COMERS (Clinical Post-Market Clinical Follow-up [PMCF] on Peripheral Arteries treated with SeQuent Please OTW [Over-the Wire]) is a prospective, single-arm, multicenter observational study (ClinicalTrials Identifier: NCT02460042). The primary end point was the 12-month target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate. Secondary end points included vessel patency, target vessel revascularization, and all-cause mortality. A total of 879 lesions in 784 consecutive patients (71.3 ± 10.4 years old, 57.7% male) were analyzed; 53.3% had claudication, whereas the remaining 46.7% exhibited critical limb ischemia (CLI). Substantial comorbidities were present, including diabetes mellitus (41.2%), smoking (66.1%), and coronary artery disease (33.9%). Lesion length (879 lesions) was 12.0 ± 9.3 cm and 31.8% were Transatlantic Inter-Society Consensus II C/D lesions. The overall technical success rate of the 1269 drug-coated balloon (DCB)'s used was 99.6% (1.60 ± 0.79 DCB's/patient). At 12 months, the TLR rates were 6.3% in patients with CLI and 9.6% in claudicants, with a primary patency rate of 89.9% and 87.1%, respectively. All-cause mortality was 4.3% (28/658). The most important predictors for TLR were female gender, in-stent restenosis at baseline and lesion length.

Successful treatment of a benign biliary stricture with biodegradable metallic biliary stents

Background: A 19 year old boy from a UNHCR camp presented to our hospital with an insidious onset of painless jaundice without any constitutional symptoms. Biochemical and ultrasonograph confirmed obstructive jaundice. Tumor markers, brush cytology and infective parameters were all negative. We successfully treated the symptoms with a biodegradable metallic biliary stent. Methods: Pre-procedural MRCP confirmed presence of benign stricture at distal CBD with dilated biliary systems. We obtained consent to deploy a 10mm diameter x 40mm length Biodegradable Balloon Expandable Biliary Stent System (QualiMed Innovative Medizinprodukte GmbH, Germany) across the stricture via ERCP. It is a flexible, magnesium based stent pre-mounted on the balloon of an over-the-wire (OTW) stent delivery system. Results: Patient's symptom resolved. We performed a repeat MRCP and ERCP at 10 months. The stent has been fully degraded. There was no residual stricture and patient remained clinically and biochemically not jaundiced. The radial strength of the biodegradable biliary stent support and maintained the patency across the distal biliary stricture. It provided a controlled delayed degradation over time. The stent has a good fluoroscopic visibility with minimal foreshortening. Conclusion: The usability and mechanical properties of the Biodegradable Balloon Expandable Biliary Stent System are comparable to regular metalic stent systems, but with the advantage of fully degraded and leaving nothing behind.

Utility of the balloon-overtube-assisted modified over-the-wire stenting technique to treat post-sleeve gastrectomy complications.

AIMTo describe a modified technique of deployment of stents using the overtube developed for balloon-assisted enteroscopy in post-sleeve gastrectomy (SG) complications.METHODSBetween January 2010 and December 2015, all patients submitted to an endoscopic stenting procedure to treat a post-SG stenosis or leakage were retrospectively collected. Procedures from patients in which the stent was deployed using the balloon-overtube-assisted modified over-the-wire (OTW) stenting technique were described. The technical success, corresponding to proper placement of the stent in the stomach resulting in exclusion of the SG leak or the stenosis, was evaluated. Complications related to stenting were also reported.RESULTSFive procedures were included to treat 2 staple line leaks and 3 stenoses. Two types of stents were used, including a fully covered self-expandable metal stent designed for the SG anatomy (Hanarostent, ECBB-30-240-090; M.I. Tech, Co., Ltd, Seoul, South Korea) in 4 procedures and a biodegradable stent (BD stent 019-10A-25/20/25-080, SX-ELLA, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic) in the remaining procedure. In all cases, an overtube was advanced with the endoscope through the SG to the duodenum. After placement of the guidewire and removal of the endoscope, the stent was easily advanced through the overtube. The overtube was pulled back and the stent was successfully deployed under fluoroscopic guidance. Technical success was achieved in all patients.CONCLUSIONThe adoption of a modified technique of deployment of OTW stents using an overtube may represent an effective option in the approach of SG complications.

Safety and Efficacy of Intracoronary Ad-HGF Administration for Treating Severe Coronary Disease: Results From Long-Term Follow-Up of a Phase I Clinical Trial

Objective: This study is a long-term follow-up of our previous phase I clinical trial and aims at evaluating the long-term safety and efficacy of intracoronary Ad-HGF administration for treating coronary disease. Methods: This study includes 22 patients (11 in the experiment group and 11 in the control group) with diffused and severe coronary disease who had received the optimal standardized medication therapy and was not amenable to revascularization. Intracoronary Ad-HGF gene transfer was administered to the distal part of the accessible artery by over-the wire balloon or at the ostium of the target vessels by diagnostic coronary catheter in the experiment group. Safety parameters were measured and compared between baseline and follow-ups (5-week; 12-month; 36- month) only in the experiment group. The changes of efficacy parameters (ejection fraction, EF) from baseline to 36- month follow-up (δEF) were measured in both groups and compared with each other. Results: This study confirmed the long-term safety of intracoronary Ad-HGF administration for treating severe diffuse coronary disease. All the eleven patients of the experiment group were alive after 36-months follow-up. During the follow-up, no new-onset arrhythmia was recorded; no malignant tumor was diagnosed; no paroxysmal or long-term fever was recorded; no retinal vascular anomaly was diagnosed. There were no statistically significant differences between the follow-ups and baseline in regard to blood parameters, including WBC, Hb, ALT, AST, BUN, Cr, CEA and AFP. In addition, intracoronary Ad-HGF efficiently improved echocardiographic EF at the 36-month follow-up compared to baseline (F=4.4, p=0.024) and with the control group (δEF: 3.5 ± 1.1 vs. -4.5 ± 1.3, MD: 8, p=0.0001). The medium-high dose subgroup also showed higher ECT-EF at the 36-month follow-up than baseline (MD: 4.8, p=0.017, n=8) and higher improvement of ECT-EF than the control group (δEF: 4.8 ± 1.5 vs. 0.3 ± 1.7, MD: 4.5, p=0.08). Conclusion: Intracoronary Ad-HGF administration is safe and potentially efficient in improving EF of patients with severe diffuse coronary disease in 3-year follow-up.

Self-expandable metallic stent placement for palliation in gastric outlet obstruction.

Malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) often has a markedly adverse impact on the quality of life (QOL) of patients. Procedures in affected patients should aim to reduce obstructive symptoms and enable oral ingestion. Surgical gastrojejunostomy (GJJ) has been performed as a conventional palliative procedure. Enteral stenting has been increasingly used as an alternative to surgical palliation because of its lower invasiveness. Enteral stents used for GOO are made of a metal alloy mesh in a cylindrical shape, and are termed self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS). Of the two placement techniques, over-the-wire (OTW) and through-the-scope (TTS) deployment, TTS is easier and is now more frequently used. In general, the technical success rate is extremely high, at nearly 100%, and the clinical success rate is about 90%, but complications after placement can occur, most frequently late-developing stent dysfunction due to stent obstruction and migration. Biliary obstruction can occur concurrently with GOO, or before or after GOO, particularly in patients with pancreaticobiliary malignancies. Considering accessibility to the bile duct, biliary stenting should generally be conducted prior to enteral stenting. Transhepatic or transmural biliary stenting may be required if transpapillary stenting is not possible. Because enteral stenting is more commonly associated with late-developing stent dysfunction, it is better suited than GJJ for patients with a short life expectancy and poorer performance score. Chemotherapy may be beneficial in reducing the risk of stent obstruction, despite the possible risk of migration, particularly in patients with GOO due to gastric cancer. Many enteral stents with different structures are now commercially available, but the association between the design and mechanical properties of a stent and clinical outcomes is still poorly understood. Further, no consensus on the benefits of covered SEMS has yet been obtained. Further study to verify which types of SEMS are most suited for GOO is warranted.

Transcatheter therapy for Lutembacher′s syndrome: The road less travelled

An 18-year-old male with Lutembacher's syndrome underwent balloon mitral valvotomy (BMV) and device closure of the atrial septal defect (ASD). BMV necessitated technical modification of taking the Inoue balloon over the wire (OTW) into the left ventricle (LV). The procedure was complicated by slippage of ASD device into the right atrium, which was managed successfully by percutaneous retrieval, and deployment of a larger device. The case highlights the challenges associated with the seemingly easy transcatheter therapy for this disease entity.

Over-the-Wire Stent Exchange Using a Simple Snare Technique in Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography

Stent insertion is an established technique of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) to treat symptomatic malignant or benign biliary strictures, and stent placement is accomplished by using the over-the-wire (OTW) method. In some cases, however, it might be challenging and sometimes time consuming to pass a complex biliary stricture with the guidewire. Stent-exchange technique with a guidewire left in place during stent removal might therefore be helpful to guarantee successful and time-sparing interventions.A simple method is presented to remove the stent with the guidewire left in place, using the OTW stent-exchange method in ERCP. This technique simplifies stent OTW exchange by using a simple endoscopy snare. This article is part of an expert video encyclopedia.

Modification of the No-Touch Technique during Renal Artery Stenting

Renal artery stenting has been established as the primary form of renal artery stenosis revascularization procedure. The no-touch technique is proposed in order to avoid renal artery injury and atheroembolism during renal artery stenting. We describe a modification of the no-touch technique by using an over-the-wire (OTW) balloon or a Quickcross 0.014′′ catheter with a 0.014′′ coronary wire inside, instead of the rigid 0.035′′ J wire. The reported technique, while it prevents direct contact of the guiding catheter with the aortic wall, at the same time it allows for a closer contact with the renal arterial ostium and a more favorable guiding catheter orientation, compared to what is achieved with the use of the more rigid 0.035′′ J wire, thus improving visualization, reducing the amount of contrast required, and potentially decreasing complications.

Controlled Reperfusion with Intravenous Bivalirudin and Intracoronary Abciximab Combination Therapy in the Porcine Myocardial Infarction Model

IntroductionThe reperfusion injury (RI) remains a significant limitation of primary PCI, therefore we evaluated the role of intracoronary abciximab and bivalirudin for anticoagulation on myocardial salvage and RI in the porcine model of ischemia/reperfusion. Materials and MethodsMyocardial infarction was induced in 23 pigs by 60-minute over-the-wire (OTW) balloon occlusion of the LAD. Animals received intravenous bivalirudin and then five minutes prior to reperfusion, either a coronary downstream infusion of abciximab (n=11) or saline (n=12) through the central lumen of an OTW catheter. All animals were followed for 48 hours. ResultsHistological analysis showed that infarct area (IA) and area at risk (AAR) were comparable between groups (IA/AAR%: 57.6±8% vs. 57.1±7%, p=0.8). Confirming this trend, biochemical markers (troponin I, TNF-alpha, IL-6, hsCRP, adiponectin, and VCAM) and left ventricular ejection fraction were also similar at 48 hours. Adhesion markers like ICAM and P-selectin were significantly decreased in the study group, nevertheless histological evidence of leukocyte extravasation was similar. The enhancement of apoptosis by TUNEL was comparable in both groups. The number of hemorrhagic infarctions confirmed by micro and macroscopic evaluation tended to be higher in the study group (70% vs. 20%, p=0.07). ConclusionsDespite lowered concentrations of adhesion molecules, intracoronary abciximab with peripheral bivalirudin is not superior to bivalirudin unaided in terms of myocardial salvage caused by RI in the porcine ischemia/reperfusion model. This might be due to local hemorrhage caused by abciximab.

Selective retrograde coronary venous perfusion with over-the-wire balloon: a new technique for cell transplantation

ObjectiveEffective cell homing to ischemic myocardium remains a practical challenge. This study evaluated the efficiency of cell delivery via coronary venous system using over-the-wire balloon in a canine model of...