Underwent Bifurcation Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Research Articles

Cardiovascular outcomes of complex bifurcation lesions following double kissing crush or nano-crush techniques: The multicenter EVOLUTE-CRUSH V study.

Double kissing crush (DKC) and nano-crush (NC) techniques are frequently used, but the comparison for both techniques is still lacking. The goal of this multicenter study was to retrospectively assess the midterm clinical results of DKC and NC stenting in patients with complex bifurcation lesions (CBLs). A total of 324 consecutive patients [male: 245 (75.6%), mean age: 60.73 ± 10.21 years] who underwent bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention between January 2019 and May 2023 were included. The primary endpoint defined as the major cardiovascular events (MACE) included cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (TVMI), or clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR). Inverse probability weighting (IPW) was performed to reduce treatment selection bias. This is the first report comparing the clinical outcomes of DKC and NC stenting in patients with CBL. The initial revascularization strategy was DKC in 216 (66.7%) cases and NC in 108 (33.3%) patients. SYNTAX scores [25.5 ± 6.73 vs. 23.32 ± 6.22, p = 0.005] were notably higher in the NC group than the DKC group. The procedure time (76.98 ± 25.1 vs. 57.5 ± 22.99 min, p = 0.001) was notably higher in the DKC group. The incidence of MACE (18.5 vs. 9.7%, p = 0.025), clinically driven TLR (14.8 vs. 6%, p = 0.009), and TVMI (10.2 vs. 4.2%, p = 0.048) were notably higher in the NC group than in the DKC group. The midterm MACE rate in the overall population notably differed between the NC group and the DKC group (adjusted HR (IPW): 2.712, [95% CI: 1.407-5.228], p = 0.003). In patients with CBLs, applying the DKC technique for bifurcation treatment had better ischemia-driven outcomes than the NC technique.

Impact of atrial fibrillation on mortality of patients undergoing bifurcation PCI

Abstract Background Patients with coronary bifurcation lesions represent a group with a greater risk of mortality when referred for e percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Aim We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes in patients with or without present atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing bifurcation PCI. Methods Investigator-initiated prospective study of patients with stable coronary artery disease, with a significant angiographic bifurcation lesion defined as diameter stenosis ≥50% who were referred for a PCI. All patients were followed up by telephone contact and/or clinical visit at 30 days and then monthly for vital status. Cardiovascular (CV) death was defined as death with clearly determined cardiac origin or death from an unknown reason. Log-rank test was used to assess the difference in mortality between the two groups. Propensity-matching was performed to account for differences in age, sex, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, smoking, cancer, renal failure, LV ejection fraction, and SYNTAX score between the two groups. The primary endpoint was the incidence of all-cause and cardiovascular death. Results A total of 358 patients were included – 179 in each group. The mean age was 71.1 ± 9.6, 31% (112) were females, 32% (119) were smokers, 98% (353) -hypertensive, 92% (329) with dyslipidemia, 44% (156) -diabetics, 28% (99) had previous MI, mean EF was 51.9 ±10.8 %. After 1:1 propensity-score matching, baseline characteristics between the two groups were similar. Intervention vessel was LAD in 69% (n=247), LCx – 17% (62), RCA – 10% (37) of the patients. For a median follow-up time of 56.5 [39-110] months, total mortality was 40%, whereas CV death occurred in 30.5% (n=109) of the patients. Both all-cause and CV death were significantly higher in patients with AF - 64 (35.8%) versus 79 (44.1%); p=0.040, and - 47 (26.3%) versus 62 (34.6%); p=0.031, respectively. Furthermore, atrial fibrillation was revealed as an independent predictor of cardiovascular death in Cox-regression analysis, together with the following factors: AF – HR 1.704, 95%CI [1.156-2.510], p=0.007, age – HR 1.057, 95%CI [1.032-1.082], p<0.01; diabetes HR 1.556, 95%CI [1.059-2.2287], p=0.024; COPD HR 2.037 95%CI [1.328-3.123], p=0.001; EF –HR 0.968, 95% CI [0.950-0.987], p=0.001. Conclusion The presence of atrial fibrillation in patients with coronary bifurcation lesions referred for PCI is associated with higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Double kissing inflation outside the stent versus jailed balloon technique for coronary bifurcation lesions

Abstract Background Side branch (SB) occlusion remains challenging in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for bifurcation lesions even in the era of jailed balloon technique (JBT). Our previous single-arm study introduced a novel method to protect SB named double kissing inflation outside the stent (DKo), which features twice inflation of the protective balloon kissing with the stent balloon and post-dilation balloon. Objective To confirm whether DKo can protect SB better than JBT in a large sample of bifurcation lesions. Methods This retrospective, single-center cohort study enrolled 875 consecutive patients underwent bifurcation PCI either in DKo (n=209) or JBT group (n=666). The primary endpoint was transient SB loss after removal of the protective balloon. The secondary endpoints included rates of SB rewiring, final kissing balloon inflation (FKBI), SB stenting, final SB loss, and peri-procedural myocardial infarction (PMI). Results Transient SB loss occurred in only 1 patient (0.5%) in DKo but 32 patients (4.8%) in JBT (p<0.005). Transient loss in JBT group was triggered by rewiring (n=21), post-dilation (n=8) and severe dissection (n=3). DKo caused lower rates of rewiring (0.5% vs. 13.8%, p<0.001), FKBI (0.5% vs. 7.7%, p<0.001) and PMI (0.5% vs. 2.9%, p=0.045). SB stenting and final SB loss showed a lower tendency in DKo [0% vs. 0.8%, p=0.21; 0% vs. 1.2%, p=0.11]. DKo was the only protector against transient SB loss [odds ratio=0.08, 95% confidence interval (0.01-0.59), p=0.013]. Conclusion DKo protects SB better than JBT in PCI for bifurcation lesions. Randomized controlled studies are required to confirm the long-term benefit.

Sex-Specific Differences in Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Coronary Bifurcation Lesions.

Coronary bifurcation lesions are frequent challenging findings during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Contemporary evidence has explored the potential sex-specific differences in patients undergoing PCI. In the present meta-analysis, we compared clinical outcomes of patients undergoing bifurcation PCI between women and men. Using the random-effects method, we compared the clinical outcomes of patients with a coronary bifurcation lesion following PCI between women and men. The results were reported using relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Baseline comorbidities and mean age were compared between the 2 studied groups. Four observational studies comprising 30,684 patients (8898 women and 21,786 men) were included in the meta-analysis. Women were significantly older than men with a relatively higher prevalence of baseline comorbidities. After using adjusted data from 2 out of 4 available studies, performing PCI for bifurcation lesions in women was not associated with an increased risk of mortality (RR 1.33, 95% CI, 0.78-2.29), myocardial infarction (RR 1.22, 95% CI, 0.41-3.61), target lesion revascularization (RR 1.06, 95% CI, 0.40-2.81), stent thrombosis (RR 0.99, 95% CI, 0.09-10.52), and stroke (RR 1.19, 95% CI, 0.64-2.22). Women were at higher risk of major bleeding compared to male counterparts (RR 2.23, 95% CI, 1.73-2.89). The present study showed no difference in the risk of adverse clinical outcomes except the risk of bleeding between genders with coronary bifurcation lesions. Future studies with adjustment of age and baseline comorbidities are needed to confirm these findings.

Two-Year clinical outcomes after coronary bifurcation stenting in older patients from Korea and Italy.

Older patients who treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are at a higher risk of adverse cardiac outcomes. We sought to investigate the clinical impact of bifurcation PCI in older patients from Korea and Italy. We selected 5,537 patients who underwent bifurcation PCI from the BIFURCAT (comBined Insights from the Unified RAIN and COBIS bifurcAtion regisTries) database. The primary outcome was a composite of target vessel myocardial infarction, clinically driven target lesion revascularization, and stent thrombosis at two years. In patients aged ≥75 years, the mean age was 80.1 ± 4.0 years, 65.2% were men, and 33.7% had diabetes. Older patients more frequently presented with chronic kidney disease (CKD), severe coronary calcification, and left main coronary artery disease (LMCA). During a median follow-up of 2.1 years, older patients showed similar adverse clinical outcomes compared to younger patients (the primary outcome, 5.7% vs. 4.5%; p = 0.21). Advanced age was not an independent predictor of the primary outcome (p = 0.93) in overall patients. Both CKD and LMCA were independent predictors regardless of age group. Older patients (≥75 years) showed similar clinical outcomes to those of younger patients after bifurcation PCI. Advanced age alone should not deter physicians from performing complex PCIs for bifurcation disease.

Prediction of All-Cause Mortality Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Bifurcation Lesions Using Machine Learning Algorithms.

Stratifying prognosis following coronary bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an unmet clinical need that may be fulfilled through the adoption of machine learning (ML) algorithms to refine outcome predictions. We sought to develop an ML-based risk stratification model built on clinical, anatomical, and procedural features to predict all-cause mortality following contemporary bifurcation PCI. Multiple ML models to predict all-cause mortality were tested on a cohort of 2393 patients (training, n = 1795; internal validation, n = 598) undergoing bifurcation PCI with contemporary stents from the real-world RAIN registry. Twenty-five commonly available patient-/lesion-related features were selected to train ML models. The best model was validated in an external cohort of 1701 patients undergoing bifurcation PCI from the DUTCH PEERS and BIO-RESORT trial cohorts. At ROC curves, the AUC for the prediction of 2-year mortality was 0.79 (0.74–0.83) in the overall population, 0.74 (0.62–0.85) at internal validation and 0.71 (0.62–0.79) at external validation. Performance at risk ranking analysis, k-center cross-validation, and continual learning confirmed the generalizability of the models, also available as an online interface. The RAIN-ML prediction model represents the first tool combining clinical, anatomical, and procedural features to predict all-cause mortality among patients undergoing contemporary bifurcation PCI with reliable performance.

C25 PREDICTION OF ALL–CAUSE MORTALITY FOLLOWING PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION IN BIFURCATION LESIONS USING MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHMS – THE RAIN–ML PREDICTION MODEL

Abstract Aims Stratifying prognosis following coronary bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an unmet need. Machine learning (ML) may identify patterns from multidimensional, non–linear relationships to make outcome predictions. We sought to develop a ML–based risk stratification model built on clinical, anatomical and procedural features to predict all–cause mortality following contemporary bifurcation PCI. Methods and Results Multiple ML models to predict all–cause mortality were tested on a cohort of 2,393 patients (training, n = 1,795; internal validation, n = 598) undergoing bifurcation PCI with contemporary stents from the real–world RAIN (veRy thin stents for patients with left mAIn or bifurcatioN in real life) registry. Among 38 commonly available features, 25 (13 patient–related, 12 lesion–related) were selected to train ML models. The best performing model (the RAIN–ML prediction model) was validated in an external validation cohort of 1,701 patients undergoing bifurcation PCI from the DUTCH PEERS (DUrable polymer–based sTent CHallenge of Promus ElemEnt versus ReSolute integrity: TWENTE II) trial and the BIO–RESORT trial cohorts. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the prediction of 2–year mortality was 0.786 (0.74–0.83) in the overall population, 0.736 (0.72–0.847) at internal validation and 0.706 (0.6919–0.794) at external validation. Performance at risk ranking analysis, k–center cross validation, and with continual learning confirmed the generalizability of the models, available also as an online interface. Conclusions The RAIN–ML prediction model represents the first tool combining clinical, anatomical and procedural features to predict all–cause mortality among patients undergoing contemporary bifurcation PCI with a good discriminative performance.

Impact of dual antiplatelet therapy duration on clinical outcome after coronary bifurcation stenting: results from the EuroBifurcation Club registry.

Optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of a bifurcation stenosis is still debated. We evaluated the impact of DAPT duration on clinical outcomes in all-comers patients undergoing bifurcation PCI included in the European Bifurcation Club (EBC) registry. We enrolled 2284 consecutive patients who completed at least 18 months follow-up. The cumulative occurrence of major adverse cardiac and cardiovascular events (MACCE), defined as a composite of overall-death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel revascularization (TVR) and stroke were evaluated. Bleedings classified as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) ≥3 were evaluated too. Patients were divided into 3 groups: short DAPT (<6-months, N.=375); standard DAPT (≥6-months but ≤12-months, N.=636); prolonged DAPT (>12-months, N.=1273). At 24 months follow-up MACCE-free survival was significantly lower in short DAPT patients (Log-Rank: 45.23, P for trend <0.001). MACCE occurred less frequently in the prolonged DAPT group (148 [11.6%]) as compared with both the short (83 [22.1%] HR: 0.48 [0.37-0.63], P<0.001) and standard DAPT groups (137 [21.5%] HR:0.51 [0.41-0.65], P<0.001). These differences remain after propensity score adjustment (respectively, HR: 0.27 [0.20-0.36] and HR: 0.44 [0.34-0.57]). Such finding was consistent in patients presenting with both acute and chronic coronary syndromes. BARC≥3 bleedings were 0.3% in the standard DAPT, 1.6% in short and 1.9% in prolonged DAPT groups. In the "real-world" EBC registry of patients undergoing PCI of coronary artery bifurcation stenosis, a prolonged DAPT duration was associated with a significantly lower risk of MACCE and a potential increased risk of major bleedings.

Managing bifurcations: are two stents better than one?

Abstract Introduction Bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with a higher degree of complexity when compared with non-bifurcation procedures. Although 1-stent PCI remains the standard approach for most bifurcation lesions, data is constantly being published on 2-stent PCI. Aim To evaluate and compare the characteristics and outcomes of patients that underwent bifurcation PCI with one or two stents. Methods Single center, retrospective observational study including all patients who underwent bifurcation PCI between January 2015-December 2018. We defined two groups: 1-stent PCI group (1s-PCI) and 2-stent PCI group (2s-PCI). The 2s-PCI group included PCI patients with all the different techniques used in our center: provisional stenting with 2 stents, Cullote, crushing stent and DK Crush. Results 1s-PCI group included 376 individuals and 2s-PCI group included 26. Overall baseline clinical characteristics were balanced between groups. There was no statistically significant difference in age (mean 64 vs 66; p=0.388), gender (79% vs 85% males; p=0.622) and comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, chronic kidney disease, smoking and previous history of coronary artery disease). Also, there was no difference in clinical status (NSTEMI 36% vs 38%; stable disease 32% vs 42%; STEMI 28% vs 19%; unstable angina 5% vs 0%; p=0.419). Coronary angiography and lesion distribution were similar in both groups (p=0.367). However, radiation dose (median 90.5 [IQR=79] vs 156 [IQR=84] mGy cm2; p&amp;lt;0,001) and contrast volume (median 150 [IQR=100] vs 156 [IQR=83] ml; p&amp;lt;0,001) were significantly higher in 2s-PCI group. At 12-month follow-up, mortality rate was higher in 1s-PCI group, but without statistical significance (8% vs 4%; p=0.71); the same is true for acute myocardial infarction at 12 months (3% vs 0%; p=0.368). Target-lesion failure was only reported in 4 patients in the 1s-PCI group. Survival tests showed no significant difference between groups (χ2(1,n=402)=0.634; p=0.426). Conclusion Individuals that underwent 1s-PCI were overall similar to those who underwent 2s-PCI. Predictably, deploying more than 1 stent required more contrast volume and implied a higher radiation dose. We should note that our studied is greatly limited by the 2s-PCI group size, which may justify the lack of difference in the evaluated outcomes. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Ten-Year Trends in Coronary Bifurcation Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Prognostic Effects of Patient and Lesion Characteristics, Devices, and Techniques.

BackgroundDespite advances in devices and techniques, coronary bifurcation lesion remains a challenging lesion subset in the field of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We evaluate 10‐year trends in bifurcation PCI and their effects on patient outcomes.Methods and ResultsWe analyzed 10‐year trends in patient/lesion characteristics, devices, PCI strategy, stent optimization techniques, and clinical outcomes using data from 5498 patients who underwent bifurcation PCI from 2004 to 2015. Clinical outcomes 2 years after the index procedure were evaluated in terms of target vessel failure (a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization) and a patient‐oriented composite outcome (a composite of all‐cause death, myocardial infarction, and any revascularization). During the 10‐year study period, patient and lesion complexity, such as multivessel disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and left main bifurcation, increased continuously (all P<0.001). The risk of target vessel failure or patient‐oriented composite outcome decreased continuously from 2004 to 2015 (target vessel failure: from 12.3% to 6.9%, log‐rank P<0.001; patient‐oriented composite outcome: from 13.6% to 9.3%, log‐rank P<0.001). The use of a second‐generation drug‐eluting stent and decreased target vessel failure risk in true bifurcation lesions were the major contributors to improved patient prognosis (interaction P values were <0.001 and 0.013, respectively).ConclusionsDuring the past decade of bifurcation PCI, patient and lesion characteristics, devices, PCI techniques, and patient prognosis have all significantly changed. Despite increased patient and lesion complexity, clinical outcomes after bifurcation PCI have improved, mainly because of better devices and more widespread adoption of procedural optimization techniques and appropriate treatment strategies.RegistrationURL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifiers: NCT01642992 and NCT03068494.

Differential Long-Term Effects of First- and Second-Generation DES in Patients With Bifurcation Lesions Undergoing PCI

There is a paucity of data regarding the long-term clinical outcomes of first- versus second-generation drug-eluting stent (DES), especially when used to treat complex lesions such as bifurcation lesions. The current study compares the efficacy and safety of first- versus second-generation DES at the 5-year follow-up in patients who underwent bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 5,498 patients with a bifurcation lesion who underwent PCI were pooled at a single patient level from COBIS (Coronary Bifurcation Stenting) registries II and III. Five-year target lesion failure (TLF) (the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction [MI], and target lesion revascularization [TLR]) and cardiac death or MI were compared between the use of first-generation DES (n=2,436) and second-generation DES (n=3,062) during PCI. Propensity score matching was performed to reduce selection bias. After a 1:1 propensity score matching procedure was conducted, the cohort consisted of 1,702 matched pairs. Patients treated with second-generation DES had a significantly lower risk of TLF at 5 years than those treated with first-generation DES in both overall and propensity-matched populations (matched hazard ratio [HRmatched]: 0.576; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.456 to 0.727; p<0.001). There were no significant differences in risk of a composite of cardiac death or MI between the 2 groups (HRmatched: 0.782; 95%CI: 0.539 to 1.133, P = 0.193). However, among patients who required a 2-stent technique, use of the second-generation DES reduced cardiac death or MI (HRmatched:0.422; 95%CI: 0.209 to 0.851, P = 0.016). On the other hand, among patients who required a one-stent technique, the risk of a composite of cardiac death or MI was similar between the 2 groups (HRmatched: 1.046; 95%CI: 0.664 to 1.650, P = 0.845). There was a significant interaction between stent generation and treatment strategy for cardiac death or MI (interaction P = 0.029). In patients treated with PCI for a bifurcation lesion, the use of second-generation DES was associated with a significantly reduced risk of 5-year TLF than the use of first-generation DES. (Korean Coronary Bifurcation Stenting Registry II [NCT01642992]; COBIS II) (Korean Coronary Bifurcation Stenting Registry III [NCT03068494] COBIS III).

Impact of sex on outcomes of bifurcation lesion percutaneous coronary intervention: results from a single-centre prospective registry.

Coronary bifurcation lesions are technically and clinically more challenging compared to nonbifurcation lesions. Sex-related differences in diagnostic and invasive therapeutic coronary procedures have been described in the literature. Our objective was to assess the impact of sex on outcomes of bifurcation lesion percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Our data were taken from a prospective registry of consecutive patients undergoing PCI for bifurcation lesions at our medical centre between 2004 and 2019. We compared rates of death and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) between men and women at 1 year and 3 years. MACE comprised cardiac death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization or stroke. A total of 1209 patients were included, 948 (78.4%) were male and 261 (21.6%) were female. Women were older (mean age 69.7 ± 11 years vs. 63.1 ± 11 years, P < 0.01), and had more comorbidities than men. Female patients had more angiographically calcified (38.1% vs. 30.1%, P = 0.017) lesions. At 1-year follow up, there was no significant difference of MACE (18.8 vs. 15.2%, P = 0.183) or all-cause mortality (5.7% vs. 3.9%, P = 0.242) between sexes. At 3-year follow up, there was a significantly higher rate of MACE in women (29.1% vs. 22.5%, P = 0.026), this was driven by a significantly higher all-cause mortality (13.8% vs. 6.5%, P < 0.01). Women undergoing bifurcation PCI are older and have more comorbidities than their male counterparts. Intermediate term follow-up outcomes are similar between sexes. Poorer long-term outcomes of women are likely due to baseline higher risk profile.

The Cone Flare Crush Modified-T (CFCT) stenting technique for coronary artery bifurcation lesions.

BackgroundThe present study is a prospective observational single arm clinical investigation, with parallel bench test interrogation, aimed at investigating the technical feasibility, safety and clinical outcomes with the cone flare crush modified-T (CFCT) bifurcation stenting technique. Bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains an area of ongoing procedural evolution. More widely applicable and reproducible techniques are required.MethodsFrom April 2018 until March 2019, 20 consecutive patients underwent bifurcation PCI using the CFCT technique with a Pt-Cr everolimus drug-eluting stent with a bioresorbable polymer. Exercise stress echocardiography was performed at 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac related mortality, myocardial infarction, target lesion/vessel revascularization and stroke. Safety secondary endpoints included bleeding, all-cause mortality and stent thrombosis.ResultsAll patients underwent a successful CFCT bifurcation procedure with no complications to 30-day follow-up. One patient met the primary endpoint requiring target lesion revascularization at 9 months for stable angina. There were no other primary or secondary outcome events in the cohort. There were no strokes, deaths, stent thrombosis or myocardial infarction during the follow-up period. The mean CCS score improved from 2.25 to 0.25 (p < 0.0001). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and bench test findings indicated optimal side branch ostial coverage and minimal redundant strut material crowding the neo-carina.ConclusionsThe CFCT technique appears to be a safe, efficacious and feasible strategy for managing coronary artery bifurcation disease. Expanded and randomized datasets with longer term follow-up are required to further explore confirm this feasibility data. (ANZCTR ID: ACTRN12618001145291).

Antithrombotic therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention of bifurcation lesions.

Coronary bifurcations exhibit localised turbulent flow and an enhanced propensity for atherothrombosis, platelet deposition and plaque rupture. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of bifurcation lesions is associated with an increased risk of thrombotic events. Such risk is modulated by anatomical complexity, intraprocedural factors and pharmacological therapy. There is no consensus on the appropriate PCI strategy or the optimal regimen and duration of antithrombotic treatment in order to decrease the risk of ischaemic and bleeding complications in the setting of coronary bifurcation. A uniform therapeutic approach meets a clinical need. The present initiative, promoted by the European Bifurcation Club (EBC), involves opinion leaders from Europe, America, and Asia with the aim of analysing the currently available evidence. Although mainly derived from small dedicated studies, substudies of large trials or from authors' opinions, an algorithm for the optimal management of patients undergoing bifurcation PCI, developed on the basis of clinical presentation, bleeding risk, and intraprocedural strategy, is proposed here.

P4589The prognostic impact of the Medina classification in bifurcation lesion percutaneous coronary intervention

Abstract Background/Introduction The Medina classification is the most widespread method to describe bifurcation lesions. However, little is known regarding the prognostic impact of the classification. Purpose To assess the prognostic significance of the Medina classification following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods The study included 738 consecutive patients from a prospective bifurcation registry. There were 609 patients (82.5%) with “true bifurcation” (TB) lesions (Medina class 1.0.1, 1.1.1, 0.1.1) and 129 (17.5%) in all other categories (“non-true bifurcation” = NTB). We compared rates of death and major adverse cardiac events (MACE: cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization) at 12 months and 3 years. Results Patients with TB had lower rates of previous bypass surgery (9.4% vs. 12.2%, p=0.03) and hyperlipidemia (75.2% vs. 79.0%, p=0.04). TB lesions were more likely to be calcified (33.8% vs. 28.2%, p=0.03) and ulcerated (8.9% vs. 3.4%, p&lt;0.01). At 12 months, mortality was numerically higher for TB PCI (4.1% vs. 2.0%m p=0.052) and MACE rates were higher (13.2% vs. 5.2%, p&lt;0.001). At 3 years, both all cause death (10.1% vs. 4.9%, p=0.002), as well as rates of MACE (27.2% vs. 11.6%, p&lt;0.001) were higher for TB PCI (Figure 1). After performing regression analysis, TB remained an independent predictor for poor outcomes (OR- 3.93 at 12 months, CI 1.45–10.66, p=0.007, OR-3.26 at 3 years, CI 1.47–7.25, p=0.004 for MACE). Conclusions TB lesions, according to the Medina classification, portend worse prognosis for patients undergoing bifurcation PCI. This may guide prognostication and decision making in treatment.

Prognostic significance of the Medina classification in bifurcation lesion percutaneous coronary intervention with second-generation drug-eluting stents.

The Medina classification is the most widespread method to describe bifurcation lesions. However, little is known regarding its prognostic impact. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the prognostic significance of the Medina classification following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). From a prospective registry of 738 consecutive patients undergoing PCI for bifurcation lesions, 505 were treated with second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES). Of these, 407 (80.6%) presented with "true bifurcation" (TB) lesions (Medina class 1.0.1, 1.1.1, 0.1.1) and 98 (19.4%) in all other categories ("non-true bifurcation" = NTB). We compared rates of death and major adverse cardiac events (MACE: cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization) at 12months and 3years. Patients with TB had lower rates of previous bypass surgery (7.4% vs. 11.2%, p = 0.043). TB lesions were more likely to be calcified (33.9% vs. 28.6%, p = 0.003) and ulcerated (8.8% vs. 4.1%, p < 0.01). At 12months, mortality was numerically higher for TB PCI (4.1% vs. 2.1%, p = 0.052) and MACE rates were higher (19.2% vs. 10.2%, p < 0.001). At 3years, both all-cause death (10.1% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.002) and rates of MACE (37.2% vs. 17.6%, p < 0.001) were higher for TB PCI. After performing regression analysis, TB remained an independent predictor for poor outcomes (OR-2.28 at 12months, CI 1.45-9.50, p = 0.007, OR-3.75 at 3years, CI 1.52-6.77, p = 0.001 for MACE). In conclusion, TB lesions, according to the Medina classification, portend worse prognosis for patients undergoing bifurcation PCI. This may guide prognostication and decision-making in treatment.

Ostre zapadnięcie się całkowicie rozprężonego stentu III generacji w trakcie przezskórnej interwencji wieńcowej w obrębie rozwidlenia tętnic

Acute stent recoil or radial collapse of a stent is a rare phenomenon leading to subsequent acute stent thrombosis or in-stent restenosis as delayed sequelae. Reduced strut thickness, a larger stent/vessel ratio, and a larger balloon/stent ratio are factors leading to stent recoil. Here, we report a case of acute recoil or radial collapse of Promus Element Plus, a third-generation everolimus-eluting stent with thin stent struts in a 66 year-old male who underwent bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention of left anterior descending artery (LAD) and diagonal branch (D1). Following kissing balloon inflation at 16 atm pressure after deployment of stents in LAD and D1, acute radial collapse of stent in proximal LAD was noted. It was successfully bailed out by further multiple, short sequential inflations using same size noncompliant balloon. Acute radial collapse probably occurred due to inflation at higher pressure with an oversized balloon, and relatively thin struts of the stent.

Procedural and Clinical Outcomes in Management of Bifurcational Lesions in ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains a challenging frontier in interventional cardiology, especially in the setting of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We examined the procedural and clinical outcomes of this patient subset. We conducted a retrospective case-control study. Between February 2006 and March 2011, 129 patients with STEMI underwent bifurcation PCI at our institution. One hundred and twenty-nine (129) control STEMI patients with non-bifurcation PCI were selected from the institutional database, matched for age, gender, culprit vessel, and lesion location. Patients with cardiac arrest, cardiogenic shock, or who required mechanical ventilation were excluded. Twelve (12)-month follow-up data were collected by telephone calls and examination of the medical records. The average age of patients presenting with STEMI was 61.6 ± 13.1 in the bifurcation group and 61.5 + 31.1 in the non-bifurcation group. There was no difference in lesion type, use of thrombus aspiration catheters, or glycoprotein inhibitors (GPI) among them. Also, the use of drug eluting stent (DES), total cumulative length of stent used, and diameter of the post-dilation balloon were similar. Final kissing balloon post-dilation was performed in 40.3% of bifurcation PCI cases. The incidence of procedural failure (TIMI 0 flow) was 1.5% vs. 0%; p = 0.478. At 12-months follow-up, the bifurcation PCI group had higher incidence of target lesion revascularisation (TLR) (10.9% vs. 3.9%, p = 0.050), mortality (10.1% vs. 2.3%, p = 0.020), and stent thrombosis (9.3% vs. 1.6%; p = 0.013); comprising one acute, nine subacute, and two late vs. two subacute stent thromboses. During acute STEMI, bifurcation PCI has excellent acute procedural outcomes, but significantly increased incidence of TLR, stent thrombosis and mortality at 12 months.

Percutaneous coronary intervention of bifurcation lesions and platelet reactivity.

Although bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with lower procedural success rates and higher risk of complications, there are little data regarding outcomes after successful bifurcation PCI with contemporary stents and techniques. Whether residual platelet reactivity (PR) affects outcomes differently after bifurcation versus non-bifurcation PCI is also unknown. We studied the association between bifurcation PCI, PR, and clinical outcomes among patients undergoing successful PCI with drug-eluting stents. Patients in the prospective, multicenter ADAPT-DES study were stratified according to whether they underwent bifurcation PCI. Two-year outcomes were compared between groups using Cox proportional hazards models. Target vessel failure (TVF) was defined as the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization. Among the 8582 patients included in ADAPT-DES, 1276 (15%) had bifurcation PCI. Bifurcation PCI was independently associated with increased risk of TVF (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-1.46, p=0.003), driven by higher risk of myocardial infarction (5.9% vs. 4.6%, p=0.033) and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization (13.0% vs. 9.2%, p<0.0001). There was no statistical interaction between PR and bifurcation PCI regarding TVF risk (adjusted pinteraction=0.87). Stenting of both bifurcation branches was associated with the highest risk of TVF (adjusted HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.48-2.46 versus non-bifurcation PCI; ptrend<0.001). Bifurcation PCI is associated with a higher risk of 2-year adverse ischemic events than non-bifurcation PCI, a risk that is particularly high when both bifurcation branches are stented, and with HPR conferring similar risk for bifurcation and non-bifurcation PCI.

Major Predictors of Long-Term Clinical Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Coronary Bifurcation Lesions With 2-Stent Strategy: Patient-Level Analysis of the Korean Bifurcation PooledCohorts.

This study investigated the long-term outcomes and predictors of target vessel failure (a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, or target vessel revascularization) in patients with bifurcation lesion treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) utilizing the 2-stent strategy with a drug-eluting stent(DES). There are limited data on outcomes of the 2-stent strategy in bifurcation PCI. Patient-level pooled analysis was performed with patients undergoing PCI with 2-stent strategy from the Korean Bifurcation Pooled Cohorts. A total of 951 patients (70.7% men) with a median age of 64 years underwent bifurcation PCI with the 2-stent strategy. True bifurcation was observed in 73.2% of patients and 39.1% of patients had left main bifurcation lesions. The crush technique was used most frequently (44.4%) and final kissing ballooning was performed in 83.6%. The 3-year cumulative incidence of target vessel failure, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, and target vessel revascularization was 17.0%, 2.3%, 2.5%, 1.7%, and 14.3%, respectively. The independent predictors of target vessel failure were left main bifurcation (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.43 to 3.03), high Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score (>32; adjusted HR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.28 to 3.14), diabetes mellitus (adjusted HR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.99), second-generation DES (adjusted HR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.57), use of noncompliant balloon (adjusted HR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.36 to 0.79), and final kissing ballooning (adjusted HR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.68). 2-stent strategy with DES is associated with feasible procedural and acceptable long-term clinical outcomes in bifurcation PCI. Several characteristics were identified as important periprocedural predictors of long-term adverse outcomes.