Saphenous Vein Graft Disease Research Articles

Intensive versus moderate statin therapy and early graft occlusion after coronary bypass surgery: The Aggressive Cholesterol Therapy to Inhibit Vein Graft Events randomized clinical trial

ObjectiveStatins prevent saphenous vein graft (SVG) disease and improve outcomes after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. However, the optimal postoperative statin dose remains unclear. The Aggressive Cholesterol Therapy to Inhibit Vein Graft Events trial was undertaken to evaluate whether early postoperative high-dose statin therapy reduces SVG occlusion compared with conventional moderate-dose therapy. MethodsIn this pilot, multicenter, double-blind randomized trial, 173 patients who had coronary artery bypass graft surgery with SVG were randomized to receive 10 mg or 80 mg atorvastatin daily for 1 year. The primary outcome was SVG occlusion at 1 year. Secondary outcomes were SVG stenosis and major adverse cardiovascular events. ResultsDuring trial enrollment, patients randomized to 80 mg atorvastatin achieved significantly lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (P < .00001). One-year graft assessment was performed in 145 patients (83.8%). The primary outcome, SVG occlusion at 1 year, did not significantly differ between the 2 groups (12.9% vs 11.4% for 10 mg atorvastatin vs 80 mg atorvastatin; P = .85). The incidence of vein graft stenosis also did not significantly differ between the groups (P = .54). However, there was a trend toward fewer patients developing vein graft disease (either occlusion or stenosis) in the 80 mg atorvastatin group (29.2% vs 19.2%, 10 mg atorvastatin vs 80 mg atorvastatin; P = .18). Freedom from major adverse cardiovascular events at 1 year was similar between the groups (P = .27). ConclusionsCompared with 10 mg atorvastatin, 80 mg atorvastatin did not significantly reduce vein graft occlusion 1 year after coronary artery bypass graft surgery in this pilot trial.

Association between proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 and late saphenous vein graft disease after coronary artery bypass grafting: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThe study aims to explore the association between serum proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) level and saphenous vein grafts disease (SVGD) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingA...

The short- and long-term outcomes of percutaneous intervention with drug-eluting stent vs bare-metal stent in saphenous vein graft disease: An updated meta-analysis of all randomized clinical trials.

The use of drug-eluting stents (DES) vs bare-metal stents (BMS) in saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions remains controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis of all randomized clinical trials comparing the outcomes of DES with BMS in SVG percutaneous coronary interventions. A search of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, and Clinicaltrials.gov was performed for all randomized clinical trials. We evaluated the short- and long-term clinical outcomes of the following: all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), definite/probable stent thrombosis, target lesion revascularization (TLR), and target-vessel revascularization (TVR). From a total of 1582 patients in 6 randomized clinical trials, 797 had DES and 785 had BMS. Patients with DES had lower short-term MACE, TLR, and TVR in comparison with BMS (odds ratio [OR]: 0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.35-0.91, P = 0.02; OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.19-0.99, P = 0.05; and OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.22-0.95, P = 0.04, respectively). However, there were no different outcomes for all-cause mortality (P = 0.63) or stent thrombosis (P = 0.21). With long-term follow-up, there were no significant reductions of MACE (P = 0.20), TLR (P = 0.57), TVR (P = 0.07), all-cause mortality (P = 0.29), and stent thrombosis (P = 0.76). The use of DES in SVG lesions was associated with lower short-term MACE, TLR, and TVR in comparison with BMS. However, there were no significant differences with long-term follow-up.

Drug eluting versus bare metal stents for percutaneous coronary intervention of saphenous vein graft lesions: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred strategy for treatment of saphenous vein graft (SVG) disease. However, there remains ongoing debate on whether drug-eluting stents (DES) or bare-metal stents (BMS) should be used during SVG-PCI. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing DES and BMS for SVG-PCI. The primary end point was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI) or repeat revascularization. Secondary end points included individual MACE components, cardiac death and stent thrombosis (ST). Six RCTs including 1582 patients (50% receiving DES) met inclusion criteria. MACE occurred in 31% (244/797) patients receiving DES and 36% (281/785) patients receiving BMS (median follow-up, 12-35 months). There was no significant difference in MACE between DES and BMS (Odds Ratio (OR) 0.62, 95%CI 0.36-1.09, p = 0.10, I2 = 77%). However, for individual components of MACE, DES was associated with a significant reduction in repeat revascularization (OR 0.53, 95%CI 0.29-0.97, p = 0.04, I2 = 73%). There was no difference in all-cause death (OR 1.30, 95%CI 0.77-2.20, p = 0.33, I2 = 40%), MI (OR 0.68, 95%CI 0.38-1.25, p = 0.22, I2 = 56%), cardiac death (OR 1.08, 95%CI 0.45-2.64, p = 0.86, I2 = 42%) or ST (OR 0.89, 95%CI 0.37-2.17, p = 0.80, I2 = 35%) between stents. Although there was no significant difference in MACE, DES is associated with a reduction in repeat revascularization compared with BMS in pooled randomized trials for SVG-PCI. The high occurrence of MACE in both stent platforms highlights the need for novel therapeutic approaches to improve clinical outcomes following SVG intervention. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing DES and BMS for SVG-PCI. There was no significant difference in MACE between DES and BMS. However, for individual components of MACE, DES was associated with a significant reduction in repeat revascularization. The high occurrence of MACE in both stent platforms highlights the need for novel therapeutic approaches to improve clinical outcomes following SVG intervention.

Predictive Value of Mean Platelet Volume in Saphenous Vein Graft Disease.

ObjectiveTo determine whether mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and platelet count could be used as determinants of mortality following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and patency of saphenous vein grafts (SVG).MethodsThe records of 128 patients who underwent emergency or elective coronary angiography after CABG surgery, and who died at an early stage were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into three groups as early death, no SVG disease (SVGD), and SVGD group. MPV, PDW, and platelet count were evaluated at different times.ResultsMPV was significantly higher in the stenotic group than in the nonstenotic group (9.7±1.8 fl and 8.2±0.9 fl, P<0.05). The postoperative MPV ratio was found to be higher in the stenotic group when compared to the preoperative period (9.6±1.8 fl and 7.8±0.9 fl, P<0.05). MPV values were also found to be higher in patients who died during the early stage than in surviving patients (9.4±1.9 fl and 8.0±1.0 fl, P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference regarding platelet count and PDW ratios between the early deaths group and surviving patients. An MPV value higher than 10.6 predicted SVGD with 85% sensitivity and 45% specificity; and an MPV higher than 7.9 predicted early death with 80% sensitivity and 68% specificity were observed.ConclusionMPV may be a useful indicator for the prediction of SVGD and mortality following CABG surgery.

The relationship between lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio and saphenous vein graft patency in patients with coronary artery bypass graft.

A lower lymphocyte count and a high monocyte count give important clues about the prognosis of various cardiovascular diseases. We hypothesized that lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) was associated with the saphenous vein graft disease (SVGD) in patients with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). A total of 218 patients with previous history of CABG surgery, who underwent coronary angiography due to stable angina symptoms, were investigated, retrospectively. LMR levels were significantly lower in the SVGD group. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that LMR levels were independent predictors of SVGD (OR: 0.648; 95% CI: 0.469-0.894; p=0.008). Our results suggested that LMR levels may provide useful information for the relevant risk evaluation of SVGD in CABG patients.

Everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold implantation to treat saphenous vein graft disease, single-center initial experience.

Recent studies have shown favorable outcomes with everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Data on the use of BVS in saphenous vein graft disease (SVG) is currently lacking. A total of 10 consecutive patients (13 lesions, including 6 in-stent restenosis) who underwent BVS for SVG disease between May 2013 and June 2015 at a tertiary care institution were included. Median follow-up period was 874 (720-926) days. One patient had scaffold thrombosis (ScT) 15 months after implantation, which was treated medically. Another patient had target lesion revascularization (TLR) in two different lesions, where BVS was used to treat in-stent restenosis. The composite endpoint of TLR, ScT, target vessel myocardial infarction, and cardiac death, was reached in two patients CONCLUSIONS: This first real-world data on the use of the ABSORB™ BVS in patients with SVG disease shows that its implantation is technically feasible. The observed rate of target lesion revascularization was similar to those observed with drug-eluting stents in similar settings. Larger studies are required to better define the optimal use of BVS to treat SVG disease.

Abstract 373: Effects of Coronary Wall Mechanics on Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Switch and CD44 + Mesenchymal Cell Repopulation in Saphenous Vein Grafts

Background: Despite the preferred application of arterial conduits, the greater saphenous vein (SV) remains indispensable for bypass grafting, especially in multi-vessel coronary artery disease. Early remodeling induced by altered wall mechanics has been recognized to play a key role in SV graft disease. The mechanism remains, however, unknown. Aim: To investigate mechanical factors involved in early graft remodeling, we characterized SV-derived smooth muscle cells (SMCs) after both ex vivo coronary-like mechanical stimulation of SV segments and in vitro unidirectional strain. Methods: SV segments from patients receiving coronary artery bypass grafts were stimulated in a custom-made coronary pulse-duplicator bioreactor. After 7 (n=6) or 14 (n=5) days, stretched and control SVs were fixed and stained for immunofluorescence. Additionally, SMCs isolated from SVs of 7 patients undergoing saphenectomy were subjected to uniaxial cyclic strain (10% elongation, 1 Hz) for 24 or 72 hours using a Flexcell platform. SMCs analysis was performed by western blotting and mass spectrometry-based secretome analysis. Results: Coronary stimulation elevated apoptosis of SV medial cells after 7 days, and consistently reduced the percentage of cells positive for contractile markers α-SMA and calponin. Conversely, synthetic phenotype marker tropomyosin-4 (TM4) and early contractile marker SM22α were elevated at T14. Mesenchymal marker CD44 was markedly upregulated in cells populating the media after 14 days of stimulation. In accordance, strained SMCs displayed decreased α-SMA and SM22α, and increased TM4 protein expression after 72h. Analysis of the supernatant showed a significant increase of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and thrombospondin 1. Conclusions: Mechanical stimulation of SVs leads to apoptosis of medial cells and a decrease of contractile SMC markers, followed by repopulation with cells expressing the mesenchymal marker CD44. In addition, unidirectional strain induces a switch of SMC phenotype and secretion of proteins related to vascular remodeling. We are currently investigating whether CD44 + cells derive from SMCs undergoing phenotypic switch, or from progenitor cells localized in the adventitia.

Novel risk markers and risk prediction of saphenous vein graft disease after coronary artery bypass graft

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is an effective treatment of complex, multivessel coronary artery disease. The saphenous vein graft disease (SVGD) is a special type of vascular disease, which significantly affects the short-term and long-term prognosis of patients after CABG. SVGD also increases the likelihood of major adverse cardiac events, such as repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction, and death. It is of great significance to identify novel risk markers of SVGD for the identification of high-risk population and the implementation of targeted prevention and treatment. The new risk prediction indicators, which are reported at native and foreign are summarized, and provide a reference for early diagnosis and treatment of SVGD. Key words: Coronary artery bypass graft; Saphenous vein graft disease; Risk prediction

Monosit/ Yüksek Dansiteli Lipoprotein Kolesterol Oranı Stabil Anjina Pektorisi Olan Hastalarda Safen Ven Greft Açıklığını Öngördürebilir mi?

Introduction: Circulating monocyte count is a predictive factor of new atherosclerotic plaque development. In addition, there is a strong inverse relationship between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and atherosclerosis. It has been shown that the monocyte/HDL cholesterol ratio (MHR) is a novel inflammatory marker. We aimed to investigate the relationship between MHR and saphenous vein graft disease (SVGD). Patients and Methods: A total of 3 69 patients were divided into 3 groups (positive SVGD group= 150, negative SVGD group= 89, normal coronary artery group= 130). Baseline characteristics and laboratory parameters were recorded and compared among the groups. Results: There were no significant differences between the positive and negative SVGD groups, except for age of SVG and left ventricular ejection fraction, according to baseline characteristics. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, fasting blood glucose levels and mean platelet volume were higher in the positive SVGD group than in the negative SVGD group (p= 0.008, 0.048 and 0.042, respectively). MHR was not significantly different between the positive and negative SVGD groups (p= 0.169) and normal coronary artery group (p= 0.364). CRP was found to be an independent predictor factor of SVGD. Conclusion: There was no association between MHR and coronary atherosclerosis. MHR was not a predictive factor of SVGD.

OP-115 [AJC » Percutaneous coronary interventions] Relationship Between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Major Adverse Cardiac Events In Patients With Saphenous Vein Graft Disease

OP-115 [AJC » Percutaneous coronary interventions] Relationship Between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Major Adverse Cardiac Events In Patients With Saphenous Vein Graft Disease

Choice of Stent for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of Saphenous Vein Grafts.

There are limited data on comparison of contemporary drug-eluting stent (DES) platforms, previous generation DES, and bare-metal stents (BMS) for percutaneous coronary intervention in saphenous vein grafts (SVG). We aimed to assess clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention to SVG in patients receiving bare-metal stents (BMS), first-generation DES, and newer generation DES in a large unselected national data set from the BCIS (British Cardiovascular Intervention Society). Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention to SVG in the United Kingdom from January 2006 to December 2013 were divided into 3 groups according to stent use: BMS, first-generation DES, and newer generation DES group. Study outcomes included in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality. Patients (n=15 003) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention to SVG in England and Wales during the study period. Of these, 38% received BMS, 15% received first-generation DES, and 47% received second-generation DES. The rates of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events were significantly lower in patients treated with second-generation DES (odds ratio, 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.68; P<0.001), but not with first-generation DES, compared with BMS-treated patients. Similarly, 30-day mortality (odds ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-0.59; P<0.001) and 1-year mortality (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.71; P<0.001) were lower in patients treated with second-generation DES, but not with first-generation DES, compared with the patients treated with BMS. Patients receiving second-generation DES for the treatment SVG disease have lower rates of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality, compared with those receiving BMS.

Current State of the Art in Approaches to Saphenous Vein Graft Interventions.

Saphenous vein grafts (SVGs), used during coronary artery bypass graft surgery for severe coronary artery disease, are prone to degeneration and occlusion, leading to poor long-term patency compared with arterial grafts. Interventions used to treat SVG disease are susceptible to high rates of periprocedural MI and no-reflow. To minimise complications seen with these interventions, proper stents, embolic protection devices (EPDs) and pharmacological selection are crucial. Regarding stent selection, evidence has demonstrated superiority of drug-eluting stents over bare-metal stents in SVG intervention. The ACCF/AHA/SCA American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions guidelines recommend the use of EPDs during SVG intervention to decrease the risk of periprocedural MI, distal embolisation and no-reflow. The optimal pharmacological treatment for slow or no-reflow remains unclear, but various vasodilators show promise.

Abstract 12889: Drug-Eluting Stents in the Treatment of Saphenous Vein Graft Disease: Disappointing Outcome During Long-term Follow-up

Introduction: Drug-eluting stents (DES) have been shown to have superior short term outcomes in the treatment of saphenous vein graft (SVG) disease compared to bare metal stents. Hypothesis: The goal of this study was to assess the long term clinical outcome of all patients with SVG disease treated with DES. Methods: 183 consecutive patients undergoing SVG intervention with DES were evaluated. Post-procedure, antiplatelet therapy included aspirin indefinitely and dual antiplatelet therapy for a minimum of 1 year. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were assessed at a mean follow-up of 5 years. MACE was defined as any of the following: death, stroke, myocardial infarction, repeat bypass surgery, repeat target vessel revascularization, or stent thrombosis. Results: The study population consisted of 149 men and 34 women with a mean age of 69 ± 10 years. Diabetes was present in 83 (45%) and acute coronary syndromes were present in 116 (63%). Mean SVG age was 12 ± 6 years. Diffuse disease (≥ 30 mm of treated disease and/or 3 or more lesions in a single vessel) was present in 37%. A total of 243 lesions were treated with 395 DES. Procedural techniques during DES deployment included direct stenting in 50%, pretreatment with intracoronary nicardipine in 49%, and use of a distal protection device in 38%. Kaplan Meier analysis of long-term MACE free survival is shown in the Figure. Although only 18% of patients had a MACE at one year, continued events were common after the first year. At 49 months, 50% of the patients had one or more MACE. Event free survival which was 82% at 1 year was only 41% at 5 years. MACE free survival after first and second generation DES were similar. Conclusions: The long-term outcome after percutaneous intervention of aortocoronary bypass vein grafts continues to present a clinical challenge. Within 5 years after DES placement for SVG disease, fewer than half of the patients remain event free.

PP-015 Relationship Between Serum Albumin level and Monocyte to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio with Saphenous Vein Graft Disease in Coronary Bypass

PP-015 Relationship Between Serum Albumin level and Monocyte to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio with Saphenous Vein Graft Disease in Coronary Bypass

Relationship between Serum Albumin Level and Monocyte-to-High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio with Saphenous Vein Graft Disease in Coronary Bypass.

Background Previous studies proposed that inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired endothelial dysfunction have a crucial role in occurrence of saphenous vein graft (SVG) disease (SVGD). The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (MHR) and serum albumin (SA) level as readily available inflammatory and oxidative stress markers with the presence of SVGD in patients with a coronary bypass. Methods In this retrospective cross-sectional study, a total of 257 patients (n = 112 SVGD [+] [mean age was 65.3 ± 8.4 years, 75.0% males] and n = 145 SVGD [-] [mean age was 66.5 ± 10.1 years, 74.5% males]) were enrolled. At least one SVG with ≥ 50% stenosis was defined as SVGD. Independent predictors of SVGD were determined by logistic regression analysis. Results White blood cell, neutrophil, monocyte, the age of SVG, and MHR were significantly higher, whereas SA level was significantly lower in patients with SVGD. In regression analysis, neutrophil, age of SVG, SA (odds ratio [OR]: 0.232 [0.156-0.370], p < 0.001), and MHR (OR: 1.122 [1.072-1.174], p < 0.001) remained as independent predictors of SVGD. Moreover, age of SVG showed a significant negative correlation with SA (r = - 0.343, p < 0.001) and a positive correlation with MHR (r = 0.238, p < 0.001). In the receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, the cutoff value of ≤ 3.75 g/dL for SA has a 73.2% sensitivity and 64.8% specificity and the cutoff value of ≥ 12.1 for MHR has a 71.4% sensitivity and 60.0% specificity for prediction of SVGD. Conclusion Consequently, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing a significant and independent association between SA and MHR with SVGD.

A Closer Look at Fractional Flow Reserve in Complex Anatomic Subsets: Left Main Disease, Bifurcation Lesions, and Saphenous Vein Grafts.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is a well-validated tool for determining the functional significance of a coronary artery stenosis, facilitating clinical decisions regarding the need for revascularization. FFR-guided revascularization improves clinical and economic outcomes. However, its application remains challenging in certain complex anatomic subsets, including left main coronary artery stenosis, bifurcation disease, and saphenous vein graft disease. This article reviews recent data supporting the use of FFR in these complex anatomic subsets.

Late structural discontinuity and migration of a bioabsorbable scaffold in a saphenous vein graft

The use of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) has many important and potentially useful features, on both pathophysiological and clinical grounds, for the treatment of native coronary artery stenosis. These advantages are less well established when BVS are employed in saphenous vein graft disease. We here describe a peculiar behavior of a previously (6 months) implanted BVS in a degenerated saphenous vein graft during treatment of an in-stent restenosis in a patient suffering from unstable angina. This BVS particular performance seems to suggest that different pathophysiological and anatomical conditions may play a relevant role in affecting the results of transluminal vascular therapy.

Off-label indications for bioresorbable scaffolds: "Beethoven can, but you cannot".

Off-label indications for bioresorbable scaffolds: "Beethoven can, but you cannot".

Drug-eluting stents appear superior to bare metal stents for vein-graft PCI in vessels up to a stent diameter of 4 mm.

Research trials have shown improved short-term outcome with drug-eluting stents (DES) over bare metal stents (BMS) in saphenous vein graft (SVG) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), primarily by reducing target vessel revascularization (TVR) for in-stent restenosis. We compared the outcomes in patients undergoing SVG stent implantation treated with DES or BMS. In exploratory analyses we investigated the influence of stent generation and diameter. Data were obtained from a prospective database of 657 patients who underwent PCI for SVG lesions between 2003 and 2011. A total of 344 patients had PCI with BMS and 313 with DES. Propensity scores were developed based on 15 observed baseline covariates in a logistic regression model with stent type as the dependent variable. The nearest-neighbour-matching algorithm with Greedy 5-1 Digit Matching was used to produce two patient cohorts of 313 patients each. We assessed major adverse cardiac events (MACE) out to a median of 3.3 years (interquartile range: 2.1-4.1). MACE was defined as all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), TVR and stroke. There was a significant difference in MACE between the two groups in favour of DES (17.9% DES vs. 31.2% BMS group; p = 0.0017) over the 5-year follow-up period. MACE was driven by increased TVR in the BMS group. There was no difference in death, MI or stroke. Adjusted Cox analysis confirmed a decreased risk of MACE for DES compared with BMS 0.75 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.52-0.94), with no difference in the hazard of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.08; 95% CI: 0.77-1.68). However, when looking at stent diameters greater than 4 mm, no difference was seen in MACE rates between BMS and DES. Overall in our cohort of patients who had PCI for SVG disease, DES use resulted in lower MACE rates compared with BMS over a 5-year follow-up period; however, for stent diameters over 4 mm no difference in MACE rates was seen.