Proximal Left Anterior Descending Lesion Research Articles

OUTCOMES OF ROTATIONAL ATHERECTOMY IN CALCIFIED PROXIMAL LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING (LAD) LESIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF TRIPLE VESSEL DISEASE

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become more complex with the advancement of medical devices. One such device is the rotational atherectomy (RA), which uses a rotating diamond-coated burr to modify calcified lesions. This makes it easier to deliver balloons and stents to specific lesions. However, there is a lack of literature regarding the success of RA in calcified proximal 'left anterior descending (LAD) lesions' following PCI. To address this gap, a study was conducted to evaluate the clinical outcomes of RA in calcified proximal LAD lesions in triple vessel disease (TVD). The study included 112 patients who underwent PCI using RA between February 2022 and November 2022 at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. Data was collected using a standard report structure, including operative and follow-up details and medical and demographic features. Retrospective data was collected using medical records and interviews with patients or doctors. The ethical committee approved the study. The participants had an average age of 68.4± 0.45 years, with 85 men (75.8%) and 40 (35.7%) with diabetes mellitus. The technical success rate was 97.6%, with 20 individuals (17.8%) experiencing significant adverse cerebral and cardiac events while hospitalized. At 1.5 years, 25 (22.3%) TVFs had occurred. Independent variables such as current smoking, chronic renal disease, history of cerebrovascular attack, left ventricle ejection fraction, and left central disease were assessed to predict TVF. Based on the results, the investigation showed that rotational atherectomy in calcified proximal LAD lesions had promising success rates.

Association among β2-adrenergic receptor autoantibodies and proximal left anterior descending artery lesions in patients with initial ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

β2 -adrenergic receptor autoantibody (β2 -AA) are widely present in patients with many different types of cardiovascular diseases. Proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery lesions are associated with adverse prognostic events in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). β2 -AA is associated with the presence of proximal LAD lesions in patients with STEMI. A cohort of 153 patients with STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) was enrolled in the study. Baseline characteristics were compared between the proximal LAD group (n = 62) and the nonproximal LAD group (n = 91). Admission serum of patients was collected to detect the level of β2 -AA. Data for echocardiogram within 24 hours after PPCI and at the 6-month follow-up were recorded. The optical density values and positive rates of β2 -AA in the proximal LAD group were higher than those in the nonproximal LAD group (p < 0.05). β2 -AA positively correlated with high sensitivity C-reactive protein and peak N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide levels in the proximal LAD group, but those were not relevant in the nonproximal LAD group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that high β2 -AA levels was independently associated with the presence of proximal LAD lesions in patients with STEMI. Furthermore, a receiver operating characteristic curve was used to show the efficiency of β2 -AA levels to detect proximal LAD lesions, and the AUC of the β2-AA OD value was 0.658 (95% confidence interval 0.568-0.749; p = 0.001). The STEMI patients with high β2 -AA levels had a greater possibility having proximal LAD lesions.

Postoperative results of minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass procedure in 234 patients.

Minimally invasive approach in cardiac surgery has gained popularity. In order to reduce surgical trauma in coronary surgery minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) has already been established. This technique has been introduced for revascularisation of isolated left anterior descending (LAD). It can also be performed for hybrid revascularisation procedure in multi-vessel disease. From 2017 to 2021, 234 patients received MIDCAB operation in our heartcenter 73% were male. Most of the patients had two or three vessel disease (74%). The average age of the patients was 66 ± 12 years mean. The left internal mammary artery (LIMA) was anastomosed to the LAD through left minithoracotomy approach. Multi-vessel MIDCAB (MV-MIDCAB) including two anastomoses (T-graft to LIMA with additional saphenous vein graft) was done in 15% (n = 35). The average operation time was 2.3 ± 0.8 h mean. The 30-day mortality was 1.7% (n = 4). The average amount of packed red blood cells (pRBC) that was given intra- and postoperatively was 0.4 ± 0.8 units mean. The mean intensive care unit stay (ICU) was 1 ± 1.2 days. Three patients (1.3%) had wound infection postoperatively. The rate of neurologic complications was 0.4% (n = 1). Two patients (0.9%) had myocardial infarction and received coronary re-angiography perioperatively including stent implantation of the right coronary artery. The MIDCAB procedure is a safe and less traumatic procedure for selected patients with proximal LAD lesions. It is also an option for hybrid procedure in multi-vessel disease. The ICU stay and application of pRBC's are low. Our MIDCAB results show a good postoperative clinical outcome. However, follow-up data are necessary to evaluate long-term outcome.

Surgeon-Guided Robotic Arm Facilitates LIMA Takedown in MIDCAB Surgery.

Left internal mammary artery (LIMA) to left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery bypass has been scientifically proven to have the best patency and long-term results in myocardial revascularization. The latest guidelines suggest minimally invasive LIMA to LAD is the optimal therapy for isolated proximal LAD lesions. The start of a minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) program can be quite challenging as robotic surgery demands high starting costs, while normal thoracoscopic techniques have a longer surgeon learning curve. In this article, we describe to the best of our knowledge the first use of surgeon-guided wristed instruments in LIMA harvesting for MIDCAB surgery. It allows for a facilitated LIMA harvest like in robotic surgery with the comfort of a surgeon constantly standing by the patient, allowing for a faster response time in case of an emergency or the need for instrument exchange. These features result in shorter operating times, lower costs compared with robotic surgery, and faster adoption of this technique for centers just starting MIDCAB surgery.

Minimally invasive surgery or stenting for left anterior descending artery disease - meta-analysis.

Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are both well-established minimally invasive revascularization strategies in patients with proximal left anterior descending (LAD) lesions. We aimed to evaluate the 20-years’ experience by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing MIDCAB versus PCI in adults with proximal LAD disease. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane on October 1st, 2021 for articles published in the year 2000 or later. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included cardiac mortality, repeat target vessel revascularization (rTVR), myocardial infarction (MI), and cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Outcomes were analysed at short-term, mid-term, and long-term follow-up. Random effects meta-analyses were performed. Events were compared using risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Our search yielded 17 studies pooling 3847 patients. At short-term follow-up, cardiac mortality was higher with MIDCAB than with PCI (RR 7.30, 95% CI: 1.38 to 38.61). At long-term follow-up, MIDCAB showed a decrease in all-cause mortality (RR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.93). MIDCAB showed a decrease in rTVR at mid-term follow-up (RR 0.16, 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.23) and at long-term follow-up (RR 0.25, 95% CI: 0.17 to 0.38). MI and CVA comparisons were not significant. In conclusion, in patients with proximal LAD lesions, MIDCAB showed a higher short-term mortality in the RCTs, but the cohort studies suggested a lower all-cause mortality at long-term follow-up. We confirm a decreased rTVR at mid-term follow-up in the RCTs and long-term follow-up in the cohort studies.

Clinical predictors and prognostic role of high Killip class in patients with a first episode of anterior ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction

Aims Killip classification is a simple and fast clinical tool for risk stratification of patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the clinical features and predictors of high Killip class at admission, and its prognostic impact in patients presenting with anterior ST elevation MI (STEMI) as first clinical cardiovascular event are still poorly known. The aim of this study was to identify the predictors of high Killip class and its impact on in-hospital and follow-up outcomes. Methods We prospectively enrolled patients with unheralded anterior STEMI because of proximal or mid left anterior descending (LAD) artery categorized according to Killip classification. Patients’ characteristics, in-hospital complications and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs; composite of all-cause death, heart failure hospitalization and new-onset ACS) at follow-up were collected. Results We enrolled 147 patients [age 66.16±13.33, 113 male patients (76.9%)]. Killip class III--IV occurred in 22 (15%) patients. The median duration of follow-up was 12 [6--15.1] months. At multivariate analysis age [hazard ratio 1.137, 95% CI (1.068--1.209), P &lt; 0.001], prehospital cardiac arrest [hazard ratio 12.145, 95% CI (1.710--86.254), P = 0.013] and proximal LAD lesion [hazard ratio 5.066, 95% CI (1.400--18.334), P = 0.013] were predictive of Killip class III--IV at admission. At multivariate analysis, Killip class III--IV was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality [hazard ratio 7.790, 95% CI (1.024--59.276], P = 0.047 and of MACEs [hazard ratio 4.155 (1.558--11.082), P = 0.004) at follow-up. Conclusion Killip classification performed at the time of admission is a simple and useful clinical marker of a high risk of early and late adverse cardiovascular events.

The de Winter's pattern revisited: a case series.

BackgroundThe de Winter’s electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern signifying proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery occlusion was first described in 2008. The ECG changes were thought to be static and mechanisms for this were suggested. In addition, the optimal management of these patients was reported to be via a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategy.Case summary Case 1: A 48-year-old gentleman presented with a 2-h history of ischaemic chest pain with initial de Winter’s pattern on ECG. This progressed to anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated by ventricular fibrillation. Emergency angiography revealed a mid-vessel LAD occlusion which was successfully reperfused. Case 2: A 34-year-old female presented with a 2-h history of ischaemic chest pain with initial ECG showing a de Winter’s pattern. Due to concerns of performing PCI timeously, a pharmacoinvasive strategy of reperfusion was adopted with resolution of the de Winter’s pattern. Urgent angiography revealed a proximal LAD lesion which was successfully stented.DiscussionThe two cases highlight that the de Winter’s pattern may in fact not be static, but rather lie along the continuum of ischaemia and may evolve into STEMI. In addition, we provide further evidence that if primary PCI cannot be offered in a timeous manner, thrombolytic therapy may be considered in such patients. The de Winter’s pattern remains a high-risk ECG pattern that requires early recognition and intervention.

A particular case of anterior STEMI in a young patient with an unexpected outcome

Anterior STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) is associated with the worst prognosis of all infarction locations. We report the case of a 37-year-old male patient who presented for two hours of severe chest pain and was diagnosed with Killip I anterior STEMI in the emergency room. The emergency coronary angiogram revealed acute thrombotic ostial LAD (left anterior descending artery) occlusion and acute thrombotic ostial ramus intermedius (RI) near-occlusion. Thrombus aspiration for the LAD occlusion was performed and a large thrombus was extracted, followed by the artery’s reperfusion. However, we noticed that there was a large diagonal branch providing septal perforating arteries and that there was a distal LAD occlusion. We implanted a drug-eluting stent on the site of the proximal LAD lesion, but we could not obtain any flow in the distal occluded LAD. The patient underwent dual antiplatelet and unfractionated heparin treatment, and, 8 days later, we performed another coronary angiogram. To our surprise, there was very few residual thrombi in the previously occluded LAD segment, and there was no more thrombus in the RI. We noticed TIMI 3 flow in all coronary arteries and an increase in the patient’s left ventricular ejection fraction was also recorded.

Full Metal Jacket Endarterectomy of Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery is Safe With Good Midterm Outcomes

Multiple overlapping stents (Full metal jacket, FMJ) from percutaneous coronary artery intervention (PCI) renders coronary artery bypass modus operandi unmanageable. We report our surgical revascularisation in patients with failed full metal jacket of left anterior descending coronary artery (FMJ-LAD). We reviewed 22 patients who presented with FMJ-LAD From 2006 to 2019. Extensive endarterectomy involving almost the whole length of the left anterior descending (LAD) was performed, the arteriotomy patched up with a saphenous vein. All reconstructed LADs were grafted with the left internal mammary artery. We compared the group to propensity-matched patients with single proximal LAD lesions requiring coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). The mean age was 54±3.5 years. Twenty-one (21) patients (95%) were in angina class III or IV despite maximum medical therapy. Fourteen (14) patients (63.6%) presented with MI within 1 month. All patients had a preoperative positive test for ischaemia. Cross-clamp and bypass times were significantly shorter (25.5±7 mins and 65±5 mins, versus 52±3 mins and 77.2±4 mins) in the CABG group compared to FMJ-LAD group, the mean hospital stay of 6±1.5 days was not different between the groups. Postoperative electrocardiograms showed non-specific changes in 75% (n=16) with no enzyme rise. Early postoperative angiography was performed in 10 patients because of the new electrocardiograph (ECG) changes; all FMJ-LAD patients had an angiogram at 1 year, two late angiograms (2 and 3 years postoperatively), and one computed tomography (CT)-angiogram for readmission with angina. All patients in the FMJ-LAD group had 12 months follow-up angiogram or cardiac CT scan. All the endarterectomies' LADs were patent. There was no mortality within the 30 days. Patients' follow-up time was between 1-13 years. Open stent endarterectomy is a valuable alternative option for patients with "full metal jacket" diseased LAD that is not graftable using standard techniques with acceptable midterm results.

Comparison of Fractional Flow Reserve-Guided Revascularization Strategies in Isolated Proximal Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery Disease

The data about FFR-guided revascularization in isolated proximal LAD disease are limited and studies comparing long-term outcomes of FFR-guided PCI versus FFR-guided CABG in single-vessel proximal LAD disease are lacking. We aimed to assess the 4-year long-term safety and effectiveness of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and FFR-guided coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) for the treatment of proximal left anterior descending (LAD) lesions. The study included 129 patients with functionally significant (FFR ≤ 0.80) isolated proximal LAD stenosis (PCI, 88 patients vs. CABG, 41). Clinical endpoints were assessed by Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. At a mean follow-up time of 47 ± 12 months, a higher incidence of myocardial infarction in the PCI group (PCI: 32% vs. CABG: 15%; p = 0.003) and a higher incidence of stroke in the CABG group (CABG: 3 (7%) vs. PCI 0 (0%); p = 0.031) were observed. However, there were no significant differences in the primary composite endpoint, death and target vessel revascularization between PCI and CABG groups. The PCI and CABG in isolated proximal LAD lesions yielded similar long-term outcomes regarding the primary composite clinical endpoints. However, stroke was more frequent in the CABG group than in the PCI group.

Coronary artery anatomy and the occurrence of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass surgery

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common complications occurring after cardiac surgeries. The incidence of post-operative AF is increasing continuously over the past decades and it is associated with lengthened hospital stay and risk of stroke. Objectives: This study was designed to examine the relationship between coronary artery involvement and the occurrence of AF after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Methods: This prospective observational study was to assess the relationship between the coronary artery involvement and the occurrence of post CABG surgery AF. Patients with chronic and paroxysmal AF before surgery were excluded. All patients had a complete evaluation by echocardiography, electrocardiography, and laboratory testing. The patients were monitored for 3 days after surgery and any tachycardia monitored as AF was noted. Patients were also divided into two groups of having post-operative AF and not having AF. Coronary artery involvement was defined using the Rentrop system. The coronary arteries were divided into 14 segments for better understanding of the lesions. Results: In this study 232 patients were selected, from which 106 patients had AF and 126 patients had sinus rhythm. The results of the present study confirmed that the older patients had a more frequent occurrence of AF after CABG (P < 0.001). There was no significant relationship between the right coronary artery (RCA) lesion and the development of AF after CABG. Proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery lesion was associated with a higher occurrence of AF after CABG (P = 0.022). Patients with single vessel or two-vessel coronary artery disease had a more frequent occurrence of AF after CABG versus those with three vessel disease (P = 0.021). Conclusions: Although age has been the most important predictor for occurrence of AF after CABG in the past and present studies, there are many other variables affecting its occurrence. Out of the variables evaluated in this study, higher PAP, proximal LAD lesion, higher levels of BNP, and D dimer as well as single vessel and two vessel coronary artery diseases were noted to significantly predict a higher occurrence of AF after CABG.

The use of “LAST” operation in high risk patient

The LAST operation, in spite of few drawbacks, represents a good option for single Left Anterior Descending (LAD) revascularization. This procedure does not allow multivessel revascularization, where hybrid procedure have been previous described. We report preliminary experience with the LAST operation performed in high risk patients. From October 2004 to February 2005, 11 male high risk patients (mean age 74 +/- 8 years) underwent the LAST operation. Mean predicted death with EUROSCORE and Parsonnet score were 29% and 31% respectively. All patients had a proximal LAD lesion either not suitable for PTCA and multivessel coronary artery disease. The mean preoperative Ejection Fraction was 42 +/- 5% (27-55%). Four patients (36.4%) had previous surgical myocardial revascularization. An incision of about 6 cm was made in the appropriate intercostal space and the LIMA (Left Internal Mammary Artery) was harvested using a special costal retractor. After heparin administration the LIMA is distally divided to check the adequacy of the blood flow. Following the insertion of a temporary intracoronary shunt, the LIMA was LAD anastomosis was carried out with a continuous 8-0 polypropylene suture. No hospital or late mortality was observed. Uneventful conversion to midline sternotomy was necessary in one patient with low value of mammary flow. All patients were discharged within the first postoperative week. The use of the LAST operation enhances the role of minimally invasive surgery also in high risk patients who need coronary revascularization.

Detection of culprit coronary lesion location in pre-hospital 12-lead ECG

BackgroundPre-hospital 12-lead ECG interpretation is important because pre-hospital activation of the coronary catheterization laboratory reduces ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) discovery-to-treatment time. In addition, some ECG features indicate higher risk in STEMI such as proximal left anterior descending (LAD) culprit lesion location. The challenging nature of the pre-hospital environment can lead to noisier ECGs which make automated STEMI detection difficult. We describe an automated system to classify lesion location as proximal LAD, LAD, right coronary artery (RCA) and left circumflex (LCx) and test the performance on pre-hospital 12-lead ECG. MethodsThe overall classifier was designed from three linked classifiers to separate LAD from non-LAD (RCA or LCx) in the first step, RCA from LCx in a second classifier and proximal from non-proximal LAD in the third classifier. The proximal LAD classifier was designed for high specificity because the output may be used in the decision to modify treatment. The LCx classifier was designed for high specificity because RCA is dominant in most people. The system was trained on a set of emergency department ECGs (n=181) and tested on a set of pre-hospital ECGs (n=80). Both sets were based on a sequential sample starting with symptoms suggesting acute coronary syndromes. Culprit lesion location was determined from coronary catheterization laboratory reports. Inclusion criteria included STEMI interpretation by computer and culprit lesion with 70% or more narrowing. Algorithm accuracy was measured on the test set by sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), and positive predictive value (PPV). ResultsSE, SP and PPV were 50, 100 and 100% respectively for proximal LAD lesion location; 90, 100 and 100% for all LAD; 98, 72 and 78% for RCA; and 50, 98 and 90% for LCx. Specificity and PPV were high for proximal LAD, LAD and LCx. Specificity and PPV are not as high for RCA by design since the RCA-LCx tradeoff favors high specificity in LCx. ConclusionAlthough our test database is not large, algorithm performance suggests culprit lesion location can be reliably determined from pre-hospital ECG. Further research is needed however to evaluate the impact of automated culprit lesion location on patient treatment and outcomes.

PP-256 Coronary Fistula between Left Anterior Descending (LAD) Arter to a cavity in Right Ventricule with Proximal LAD Lesion and Succesfully Treatment with Coil Embolisation and Coronary Stenting

Introduction: Coronary artery fistulas ( CAF) are rare, abnormal communications between coronary arterial bed and cardiac chambers or pulmonary circulation. Frequency have been reported as 0.05-0.25 % in coronary angiographic studies. Theraphy could be surgery, percutan closure with coil embolisation or occluder device, conservative management depend on fistul diameter and shunt flow. Mostly right coronary artery fistulate to right heart chambers or pulmonary artery. Fistulisation of LAD to a cavity in right ventricule is very rare. We introduce a a patient in this clinical condition with proximal LAD lesion that treated with coil embolisation and coronary stenting. Case: A 46 year old man appealed to our clinic cause of efor angina. In his echocardiogram a cavity was seen in right ventricule close to septumapical region ( Figure 1A). A coronary angiogram was done since his treadmill test positive. In his coronary angiogram LAD was aneurismatic, there was severe stenosis in proximal part of LAD ( Figure 1B, Video 1). Also LAD was continuing to apex and spilling a cavity suggested in right ventricule that was seen in echocardiogram (Figure 1C, Video 1). Cardiac computed tomography (CT) angiogram was confirmed that anatomy(Figure 1E,1F,1G). A decission was made to percutaneous intervention to LAD lesion and coil embolisation to fistul instead of surgery. Fistula was occluded succesfully with coil embolisation first (Figure 1D, Video 1), than stenting of proximal LAD was proceeded (Figure 1H, Video 1). Patient was discharged after two days uneventful following. Discussion: Treatment of CAF is challenging since large amount of variation an lack of guideline based treatment suggestions. Small fistulas which do not cause any symptom, heart chamber enlargment, pulmonary hypertension or cardiac ischemia could be followed medically. Large fistulas requires invasive treatment as surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). PCI could be done with coil embolisation or amplatzer occlusion devices. Ligation of fistula with surgery in aneurismatic coronary arteries carries risk of coronary rupture. In our patient there was a severe narrowing at proximal part of LAD. We prefere PCI rather than one vessel by pass graft and fistula ligation surgery since LAD flow would diminish after ligation of fistula and that could impair negatively to graft functions. PCI has provided more physiologic coronary flow and succesful result.

Abstract 51: Can Wellens’ Sign be used to Predict Significant Proximal Left Anterior Descending Artery Lesion?

Background: Wellens’ sign (WS) has been reported as a sign of critical proximal left anterior descending (PLAD) artery lesion with lumen narrowing greater than 90%. Wellens’ ECG signs for critical PLAD lesion are characterized by two different electrocardiogram (ECG) patterns: 1) Deep T wave inversion in leads V2, V3 (approximately 76% of cases); and 2) Biphasic T wave in leads V2, V3 (approximately 24% of cases). The prevalence of the ECG feature of WS ranges from 14-18%. The prognostic significance of WS in detecting significant coronary artery lesion defined as a luminal narrowing of the coronary vessel by more than 70% has not been well studied. Our study’s goal was to evaluate if WS is present in all patients with critical and significant PLAD lesions and is a sensitive or specific sign for critical and significant (&gt;70% stenosis) PLAD lesions. Methods: All patients that underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at an urban community hospital between January 2009 and December 2011 were included in the study. Log books from the cardiac catheterization laboratory were reviewed for all lesion types and corresponding demographics. The ECGs of patients with PLAD lesion were reviewed for T wave changes in precordial leads. Additionally, demographics such as age, gender and cardiovascular risk factors were recorded and analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 431 patients underwent PCI [emergent PCI 152 (35.3%), elective PCI 279 (64.7%)]. A total of 78 patients (18.1%) from both groups were found to have PLAD lesion. Fifty eight patients were male and 20 patients were female. The average age was 63.7 years. Critical PLAD lesion was present in 26 patients (33.3%) and 52 patients (66.7%) had PLAD lesion less than 90%. Of the 26 patients, 17 (65.4%) had WS. Wellens’ sign for predicting a critical PLAD had a sensitivity of 65.4%, a specificity of 69.2%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 51.5% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 80% (p = 0.0069, two-tailed Fisher’s exact test). Of the 42 patients who had PLAD lesion greater than 70%, 21 patients (50%) had WS. Of the 36 patients who had PLAD lesion less than 70%, 11 patients (30.6%) had WS. Wellens’ sign for predicting significant PLAD lesion in this cohort has a sensitivity of 50%, a specificity of 69.4%, a PPV of 65.6% and a NPV of 54.3% ( p = 0.1074). Conclusion: Our results corroborated prior studies showing that WS predicts the presence of critical (90%) PLAD lesion. Unfortunately, the value of WS for detecting/predicting significant CAD in PLAD was weak. Our results indicated that we were not able to predict the presence of significant (70%) PLAD lesion using WS. However, in appropriate clinical settings such as Non-ST elevation MI (NSTEMI) or unstable angina, Wellens’ sign may indicate the need for a more aggressive treatment strategy with patients proceeding to the cardiac catheterization suite sooner than later.

Comparison of Bare-Metal Stenting With Minimally Invasive Bypass Surgery for Stenosis of the Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery: 10-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Trial

The aim of this prospective, randomized trial was to assess the 10-year long-term safety and effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery (MIDCAB) for the treatment of proximal left anterior descending (LAD) lesions.Long-term follow-up data comparing PCI and MIDCAB surgery for isolated proximal LAD lesions are sparse.Patients with significant isolated proximal LAD stenoses were randomized either to PCI with bare-metal stents (n = 110) or MIDCAB (n = 110). At 10 years, data were obtained with respect to the primary endpoint (death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization). Angina was assessed by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society classification.Follow-up was conducted for 212 patients at a median time of 10.3 years. There were no significant differences in the binary primary composite endpoint (47% vs. 36%; p = 0.12) and hard endpoints (death and infarction) between PCI and MIDCAB. However, a higher target vessel revascularization rate in the PCI group (34% vs. 11%; p < 0.01) was observed. Clinical symptoms improved significantly from baseline and were similar between both treatment groups.At 10-year follow-up, PCI and MIDCAB in isolated proximal LAD lesions yielded similar long-term outcomes regarding the primary composite clinical endpoint. Target vessel revascularization was more frequent in the PCI group.

Abstract 324: Automated Classification of Proximal Left Anterior Descending and Proximal Right Coronary Artery Occlusion from More Distal Locations in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Background: Rapid classification of the occlusion location in the coronary artery tree during ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) can be used for further risk stratification. In this study, we introduce and characterize a complete automated algorithm for classifying occlusion location as left circumflex, or proximal or middle-to-distal in the left anterior descending and right coronary artery in STEMI. Methods: The new algorithm was developed and tested on two separate sets of ECGs using multiple decision trees optimized for high specificity. The development set of ECGs came from the emergency department of a large hospital. The test set of ECGs came from a prehospital emergency medical service using inclusion criteria of STEMI and angiogram confirmation of single culprit artery and lesion location (n=132). LBBB and paced ECGs were excluded. All left circumflex (LCx) locations (n=31) were lumped together. The split between proximal right coronary artery (RCA) lesion location (n=51) and middle-to-distal RCA location (n=50) was defined as above the acute marginal branch. Proximal lesion for the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery was defined as above the first major diagonal side branch. All patients met current age and gender based STEMI criteria. Accuracy of lesion location prediction was based on sensitivity and specificity calculated from a 2X2 table with the two groups as lesion location and other. Results: The automated algorithm classifies proximal LAD lesion location with a sensitivity and specificity of 75% and 94% respectively and sensitivity and specificity of 57% and 99% for proximal RCA lesion location. Conclusion: Since proximal lesion location indicates higher risk for both LAD and RCA, the classifier was designed for higher specificity and the specificity within STEMI cases was shown to be 94% and higher. High specificity is necessary for confidence in the classification before altering treatment. An automated algorithm for proximal lesion location allows for rapid risk assessment which should result in a valuable clinical decision support tool.

The Impact of Downstream Coronary Stenoses on Fractional Flow Reserve Assessment of Intermediate Left Main Disease

The aim of this study was to assess the validity of measuring fractional flow reserve (FFR) of the left main (LM) coronary artery in the setting of concomitant left anterior descending (LAD) or left circumflex (LCX) stenoses. The theoretical impact of a stenosis in the LAD on the FFR assessment of intermediate LM disease with the pressure wire in an unobstructed LCX is currently unknown. A previously validated in vitro model of the coronary circulation was used to create a fixed intermediate stenosis of the LM and a variable downstream LAD or LCX stenosis. The true LM FFR (FFR(LM true)), with no concomitant downstream disease, was compared to the apparent LM FFR (FFR(LM apparent)), with concomitant downstream disease measured with different degrees of LAD or LCX disease. Additionally, an equation based on a resistors model was derived to predict the effect of downstream stenosis on LM FFR (FFR(LM predicted)). In the setting of isolated moderate LM disease (FFR 0.72 ± 0.08), mild to moderate proximal LAD or LCX lesions did not significantly affect LM FFR. Lesions with a composite FFR (LM + downstream disease) ≥0.65 resulted in an FFR(LM apparent) that was not significantly different from FFR(LM true) (0.76 ± 0.06 vs. 0.76 ± 0.05, p = 0.124). Our equation for FFR(LM predicted) accurately modeled the effects of concomitant disease (r = 0.95, p < 0.001). These data suggest that in the presence of proximal mild to moderate LAD or LCX disease, LM FFR can be reliably measured with the pressure wire placed in the uninvolved epicardial artery.

Comparison of Location of “Culprit Lesions” in Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery Among Patients With Anterior Wall ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Having Ramus Intermedius Coronary Arteries Versus Patients Not Having Such Arteries

Disturbed, nonlaminar flow distal to arterial bifurcations contributes to atherosclerosis development and progression. We hypothesized that the presence of a ramus intermedius (RI) amplifies the flow disturbances in the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery causing more proximal LAD lesions and larger ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Emory University's contribution to the National Cardiovascular Data Registry was queried for STEMIs from January 2006 to July 2008. The distance from the LAD ostium to the lesion was measured in patients with angiographically visible culprit lesions. The peak troponin-I, creatinine kinase-MB, and left ventricular ejection fraction were used as markers for infarct size. Of the 386 patients with STEMI, 150 had LAD culprit lesions. The mean lesion distance from the LAD ostium was 15.2 +/- 11.0 mm in the patients with RI (n = 44) and 29 +/- 19 mm in those without RI (n = 106; p <0.01). LAD lesions were more proximal in the patients with RI, with 43% and 63% of lesions occurring in the first 10 and 20 mm of the LAD, respectively, versus 10% and 32% in those without RI (p <0.01). Patients with RI had greater peak troponin-I (69 +/- 40 ng/ml vs 50 +/- 39 ng/ml, p = 0.01) and peak creatinine kinase-MB (277 +/- 271 ng/ml vs 174 +/- 190 ng/ml, p = 0.01). A trend was seen toward a lower left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with RI (36 +/- 10% versus 40 +/- 11%, p = 0.06). In conclusion, the presence of RI was associated with more proximal LAD lesions and larger anterior infarctions, suggesting anatomy-induced flow disturbances have important clinical implications.

Comparing MIDCAB surgery and stenting for isolated proximal left anterior descending stenosis

Isolated proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery stenosis is of prognostic relevance. Proximal stenosis location carries specific features for revascularization either by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting. Previous randomized clinical trials comparing bare-metal stenting with minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) surgery in patients with isolated proximal LAD lesions demonstrated a significantly higher reintervention rate for bare-metal stenting than for MIDCAB, and similar results with both options for mortality and reinfarction. However, with the introduction of drug-eluting stents a highly significant reduction in restenosis has been demonstrated. There is only one trial in a limited number of patients comparing PCI with drug-eluting stenting and MIDCAB surgery and it demonstrated noninferiority of PCI with regard to major adverse cardiac events. This article summarizes the current evidence regarding the treatment of isolated...