Unprotected LM Research Articles

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Lesions

Refinements in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), including the use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and fractional flow reserve (FFR), have allowed the treatment of complex lesions with good results. As a result, the percutaneous approach for left main coronary artery (LM) lesions has spread, including centers with a lower volume of PCI procedures. Our objective was to report the early and late outcomes of PCI in unprotected LM lesions. Consecutive patients treated at two different hospitals from August 2009 to July 2013 were included. The indication for the percutaneous approach was based on the clinical assessment and the calculation of Syntax score, EuroScore and on the patient’s wishes. Twenty-eight patients with mean age of 69.2 ± 10.1 years were treated, 39% were diabetic and 39% had acute coronary syndromes. Half of the patients had EuroScore ≥ 6; the Syntax score was 26.0 ± 8.4 and 82% had LM bifurcation lesions. Interventions were guided by IVUS and/or FFR in 71.4% of the patients, 93% were treated with drug-eluting stents, and the 1-stent technique was used in most occasions. Angiographic success was achieved in 100% of the cases. At the 19.2 ± 13.7 month follow-up, the rate of major adverse cardiac events was 21.4% in the follow-up longer than 4 years, cardiac death 14.2%, non-fatal myocardial infarction 3.5% and target-lesion revascularization 3.5%. PCI in unprotected LM lesions, guided by IVUS and/or FFR whenever possible, is safe and effective in the short and long-term, in the experience of a hospital with a moderate number of PCI procedures. Intervenção Percutânea em Lesão de Tronco de Coronária Esquerda Não Protegido Refinamentos da intervenção coronária percutânea (ICP), entre eles a utilização do ultrassom intravascular (IVUS) e da reserva de fluxo fraccionada (FFR), têm permitido o tratamento de lesões complexas com bons resultados. Como consequência, a abordagem percutânea das lesões de TCE se difundiu, incluindo hospitais de menor volume de procedimentos. Nosso objetivo foi apresentar os resultados iniciais e tardios da ICP de lesões de TCE não protegido. Foram incluídos pacientes consecutivos tratados em dois centros hospitalares, de agosto de 2009 a julho de 2013. A indicação da estratégia percutânea baseou-se em avaliação clínica, cálculo do escore Syntax, EuroScore e no desejo do paciente. Foram tratados 28 pacientes, com idade de 69,2 ± 10,1 anos, 39% eram diabéticos e 39% eram portadores síndrome coronária aguda. Metade dos pacientes tinha EuroScore ≥ 6; o escore Syntax foi de 26,0 ± 8,4 e 82% tinham lesões localizadas na bifurcação. As intervenções foram guiadas por IVUS e/ ou FFR em 71,4% dos pacientes, 93% foram tratados com stents farmacológicos, predominantemente pela técnica de 1 stent, e o sucesso angiográfico foi alcançado em 100% dos casos. O acompanhamento foi de 19,2 ± 13,7 meses. A taxa de desfechos clínicos maiores foi de 21,4% no seguimento maior a 4 anos, óbito cardíaco de 14,2%, infarto do miocárdio não fatal de 3,5%, e revascularização da lesão-alvo em 3,5%. A ICP de TCE não protegido guiada, sempre que possível, por IVUS e/ou FFR é segura e eficaz no curto e longo prazos, na experiência em um hospital com moderado volume de procedimentos.

Comparison of Paclitaxel-Eluting Stents (Taxus) and Everolimus-Eluting Stents (Xience) in Left Main Coronary Artery Disease With 3 Years Follow-Up (from the ESTROFA-LM Registry)

Evidence regarding therapy with drug-eluting stents in the left main coronary artery (LM) is based mostly on trials performed with first-generation drug-eluting stents. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term clinical outcomes after treatment for unprotected LM disease with paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) and everolimus-eluting stents (EES). The ESTROFA-LM is a multicenter retrospective registry including consecutive patients with unprotected LM disease treated with PES or EES. A total of 770 patients have been included at 21 centers, 415 with treated PES and 355 with EES. Treatment with 2 stents was more frequent with PES (17% vs 10.4%, p = 0.007), whereas intravascular ultrasound was more frequently used with EES (35.2% vs 26%, p = 0.006). The 3-year death and infarction survival rates were 86.1% for PES and 87.3% for EES (p = 0.50) and for death, infarction, and target lesion revascularization were 83.6% versus 82% (p = 0.60), respectively. Definite or probable thrombosis was 1.6% for PES and 1.4% for EES (p = 0.80). The use of 2 stents, age, diabetes, and acute coronary syndromes were independent predictors of mortality. In the subgroup of distal lesions, the use of intravascular ultrasound was an independent predictor of better outcome. Comparison of propensity score-matched groups did not yield differences between the 2 stents. In conclusion, the results of this multicenter registry show comparable safety and efficacy at 3 years for PES and EES in the treatment of LM disease. The use of bifurcation stenting techniques in distal lesions was a relevant independent predictor for events. The use of intravascular ultrasound appears to have a positive impact on patients treated for LM distal disease.

Early recognition of catheter‐induced left main coronary artery vasospasm: Implications for revascularization

Catheter-induced left main coronary artery (LMCA) vasospasm is a rare complication of coronary angiography that confounds the decision for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. We report two cases of catheter-induced LMCA vasospasm. The first case was a 68-year-old woman who presented 6 years after CABG for presumed severe LMCA atherosclerotic disease. Coronary angiography demonstrated totally occluded CABGs and normal native coronary arteries, including a normal LMCA. The second case was a 56-year-old man with severe LMCA stenosis, who was scheduled for unprotected LM percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Repeat angiography 2 days later showed no stenosis. These cases emphasize the need for meticulous technique and a high index of suspicion of LMCA vasospasm. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) at the time of angiography may help to identify minimal atherosclerotic disease suggesting vasospasm. Alternatively, noninvasive testing, such as computed tomography (CT) angiography, may diagnose LM spasm in these patients prior to CABG surgery.

Long‐term complication after LM bifurcation treatment

Two months after left anterior descending (LAD) artery and left circumflex (LCx) artery bare metal stent implantation, a proliferative subocclusive in-stent restenosis in LCx coronary with severe LM coronary (LM) involvement developed. The present clinical case describes a simplified strategy for unprotected LM percutaneous coronary intervention using two bioabsorbable biolimus-eluting stents without involvement of the LAD coronary using an "L" technique.

Left main intervention in myocardial infarction

We report an 84-year-old patient who suddenly developed nausea, vomiting, hypotension, and needed intubation, assisted ventilation and pharmacological vasopressor support. Admission EKG showed anterior and lateral leads ST segment depression and 2 mm ST segment elevation in avR lead. Angiogram showed unprotected left-main coronary-artery (LM) sub-occlusive disease and totally occluded ostial right-coronary-artery (RCA), distally filled through the left-coronary system. Unprotected LM disease was immediately treated with bare metal stent. The stent jailed the left-circunflex coronary-artery (LCx) ostium but did not compromise the arterial flow. Lately, the patient was discharged in a very good health condition. Ten months angiographic follow-up showed an extremely compromised LCx ostium treated successfully with drug eluted stent (DES) and mid left anterior descendent (LAD) severe lesion, treated with DES.

Long-term Clinical Results for Randomised Comparison of Paclitaxel-eluting versus Bare-metal Stents in Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Disease

Long-term Clinical Results for Randomised Comparison of Paclitaxel-eluting versus Bare-metal Stents in Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Disease To optimise percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategy for unprotected left main (ULMCA) disease we performed a randomised study: IVUS-guided bare metal stent (BMS) versus paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) implantation after lesion pre-treatment with cutting balloon (CB) for unprotected LM lesions. The purpose of this randomized study was to evaluate six-month and three-year clinical results. Several recent publications have demonstrated good short- and midterm outcomes in patients with left main artery disease after stent implantation. However, data on long-term comparison of BMS and PES for LM lesions are limited. Patients with left main coronary artery disease enrolled at Latvian Centre of Cardiology were randomly assigned to either BMS (n = 50) or PES implantation (n = 53). All interventions were IVUS-guided and CB pre-treatment before stenting was performed in all patients. All patients were scheduled for six-month and three-year follow-up. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as death, Q wave myocardial infarction or target lesion revascularisation (TLR). Baseline clinical and procedural characteristics were comparable in both groups. At six months, the MACE-free survival rate was 70% in BMS and 87% in PES patients (P < 0.05). At three years, MACE occurred in 18 patients (36.0%) in the BMS and seven patients (13.2%) in the PES group (P < 0.05). The current study demonstrates the benefit of IVUS guided paclitaxel-eluting stent implantation after cutting balloon pre-treatment in left main coronary artery disease over bare metal stent implantation at six months and three years.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery for the Treatment of Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis In-Hospital and One Year Outcome After Emergent and Elective Treatments

This study attempts to compare the risks and benefits of provisional stenting with drug eluting stents and bypass surgery for left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis. Recent improvements in interventional technologies have increased interest in percutaneous treatment of LMCA stenosis. However, application of percutaneous techniques to LMCA has been sporadic and controversial. In-hospital and one year outcomes of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) cases were compared. From September, 2003 to June, 2005, a total of 59 consecutive patients with de novo unprotected LMCA stenosis were treated with either CABG or PCI. Twenty patients received non-intravascular ultrasound-guided PCI with a stent in the LMCA. Thirty-nine patients underwent CABG. At 30-day follow-up, the major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACE) rates of mortality, myocardial infarction, cerebral vascular accident, and target vessel revascularization were 25.6% in the CABG group and 5% in the PCI group (P=0.054). At one year follow-up, the MACE rates were 33.3% in the CABG group and 5% in the PCI group. One year MACE for the CABG group significantly differed from that of the PCI group (P=0.015). The odds ratio (OR) of one year MACE-free survival was 0.75 (P<0.001) in the CABG group versus the PCI group. Further analysis demonstrated there was a significant difference in in-hospital MACE and one year MACE between the elective CABG group and elective PCI group (P=0.045). However, there was no significant difference between the emergent CABG group and emergent PCI group (P=1.000 for in-hospital MACE; P=0.486 for one year MACE). PCI on unprotected LM offers an alternative option in patients with high surgical risk and appropriate lesion morphology.

Percutaneous coronary intervention in unprotected left main stem disease: the state of play

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to the left main coronary artery (LM) presents important technical challenges that are both lesion and site specific. Available technology has improved and so has our...