Directional atherectomy of left main stenoses

Unprotected left main stenting, short- and long-term outcomes

BACKGROUND

Coronary bypass surgery is recommended for the treatment of left main coronary stenosis. Recently a percutaneous approach has been described as a feasible option.

OBJECTIVES

To present the in-hospital and long-term clinical and angiographic outcome of a consecutive group of patients undergoing stenting for unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease, and to compare the clinical and angiographic outcomes of drug-eluting stent (DES) versus metal stent (BMS).

METHODS

238 consecutive patients underwent unprotected LMCA stenting. 165 received BMS and 73 received DES. Most patients (88.7%) presented with acute coronary syndrome. Clinical (100%) and angiographic (84%) follow-up was obtained.

RESULTS

Patients' presentation: STEMI (7.2%), non-STEMI (13.5%), unstable angina (67.6%), stable angina (11.7%). Procedural success rate was 100%. In-hospital mortality was 2.1%, all in patients presented with unstable hemodynamic conditions. None of the patients needed emergent CABG. In the long-term follow-up (average three years) there were 12 deaths (5%), 3 patients required CABG and 25 patients required TVR. The overall angiographic LM restenosis rate show a trend toward lower rate in the DES group than the BMS group (9.6% versus 13.8%, P = 0.08). There was no difference in one year mortality (4.1% versus 4.2%) and AMI (2.7% versus 2.8%) between DES and BMS.

CONCLUSIONS

Stenting for LM stenosis can be performed safely with acceptable in hospital and long-term outcome. Reconsideration of current guidelines should be considered. Drug-eluting stent implantation for unprotected LMCA stenosis appears safe with regard to acute and long-term complications and is more effective in preventing restenosis compared to BMS implantation.

Unprotected left main coronary artery stenting: immediate and medium-term outcomes of 140 elective procedures

OBJECTIVES

We sought to evaluate immediate and late outcomes after stenting for left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis.

BACKGROUND

Conventional percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), for which coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been the gold standard therapy for years, has yielded poor results in unprotected LMCA lesions. The development of coronary stents, together with their dramatic patency improvement provided by new antiplatelet regimens and their validation against restenosis, warrants a reappraisal of angioplasty in LMCA stenosis.

METHODS

From January 1993 to September 1998, 140 consecutive unselected patients with unprotected LMCA stenosis underwent elective stenting. Group I included 47 high-CABG-risk patients, and group II included 93 low-CABG-risk patients. Ticlopidine without aspirin was routinely started at least 72 h before the procedure and continued for one month. Patients were reevaluated monthly. A follow-up angiography was requested after six months.

RESULTS

The procedure success rate was 100%. One-month mortality was 9% (4/47) in group I and 0% in group II. A follow-up angiography was obtained in 82% of cases, and target lesion revascularization was required in 17.4%. One-year actuarial survival was 89% in the first 29 group I patients and 97.5% in the first 63 group II patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Stenting of unprotected LMCA stenosis provided excellent immediate results, particularly in good CABG candidates. Medium-term results were good, with a restenosis rate of 23%, similar to that seen after stenting at other coronary sites. Stenting deserves to be considered a safe and effective alternative to CABG in institutions performing large numbers of PTCAs.

Immediate and long-term results of elective and emergent percutaneous interventions on protected and unprotected severely narrowed left main coronary arteries

Percutaneous revascularization of protected and unprotected left main coronary arteries is associated with acceptable immediate results, but there are significant long-term consequences, including the need for repeat percutaneous intervention (10%), myocardial infarction (7.5%), coronary artery bypass surgery (7%), and death (38%), despite the elective or emergent nature of the procedure.

Comparison of quantitative coronary angiographic results after directional coronary atherectomy and balloon angioplasty of protected left main coronary stenosis

We compared the angiographic and clinical outcomes after directional coronary atherectomy (DCA, 13 patients) with those after conventional balloon angioplasty (BA, 21 patients) in patients with protected left main coronary artery stenosis. The initial success rate was 100% in the DCA group and 81% (17 of 21) in the BA group. Restenosis was present in 2 of 11 patients in the DCA group and 9 of 16 patients in the BA group (18% vs. 56%, P < 0.05). DCA and BA improved a minimal lumen diameter. The initial gain after DCA was greater than that after BA. At follow-up, the minimal lumen diameter was larger and the percentage diameter stenosis was smaller in the DCA group than in the BA group. The late loss and loss index were equivalent in both groups. Compared with conventional BA, DCA in protected left main coronary artery stenosis is associated with a higher angiographic success rate and provides a wider luminal diameter with reduced incidence of restenosis.

Percutaneous treatment of protected and unprotected left main coronary stenoses with new devices: immediate angiographic results and intermediate-term follow-up

OBJECTIVES

We sought to evaluate the immediate angiographic results and intermediate-term follow-up after percutaneous treatment of left main coronary stenoses in the new device era.

BACKGROUND

Historically, balloon angioplasty of left main coronary stenoses has been associated with high procedural morbidity and poor long-term results. It is not clear whether new devices are more effective in this anatomic setting.

METHODS

Between July 1993 and July 1995, we performed initial left main coronary interventions on 46 patients (mean age 67 +/- 12 years, 26% women). Quantitative angiography was available for 42 of 46 interventions, and clinical follow-up was obtained for all patients at 1 month, 6 months and 1 year after initial revascularization.

RESULTS

Most interventions (42 of 46) were performed in patients with "protected" coronary stenoses to the left coronary system owing to the presence of one or more patent left main coronary grafts. Seventy-seven percent of screened patients were deemed unsuitable for repeat coronary artery bypass surgery. Procedures performed included stenting in 73% of patients (alone in 30% and after rotational atherectomy in 43%), rotational atherectomy in 58% (alone in 15% and before stenting in 43%), directional atherectomy in 4% and angioplasty alone in 7%. Initial procedural success was achieved in all interventions, with no deaths, myocardial infarctions (creatine kinase, MB fraction > 50 IU/liter) or emergent bypass surgery. Follow-up data to date (median duration 9 months, range 6 to 19) demonstrate a 98% overall survival rate and a 6-month event-free survival rate of 78% (six target vessel revascularizations [TVRs], four non-TVRs).

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of protected left main coronary artery stenoses can be accomplished safely and effectively with new device technology. Intermediate-term follow-up demonstrates an acceptably low rate of death, myocardial infarction or repeat revascularization at 6 months and 1 year.

Treatment of unprotected left main stenoses with Palmaz-Schatz stenting

Coronary artery bypass surgery remains the standard modality for revascularization of significant left main coronary artery stenoses. Despite major improvement in equipment and operator technique, balloon angioplasty of significant unprotected left main obstruction generally is contraindicated. When catheter intervention is required, Palmaz-Schatz stenting may offer better predictability of the acute result, and possibly improved long-term outcome.

Rotablation and stent placement in an unprotected left main coronary ostial stenosis

We report the case of a patient with postinfarction rest angina, high grade ostial left main (LM) stenosis, and right and circumflex coronary occlusion. Coronary artery bypass was performed, yet all grafts failed within 2 months of surgery. We elected to proceed with coronary intervention on the ostial LM lesion with intracoronary ultrasound lesion characterization and percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass support. Rotablation followed by stent deployment achieved a successful angiographic outcome with no associated clinical complications. At 1-year follow-up, the patient remains stable with evidence of mild restenosis. Interventional approaches in unprotected LM coronary stenoses are associated with high procedural risk. Combined atherectomy/ablation with stent placement guided by intracoronary ultrasound may enhance procedural and long-term outcome.