Percutaneous laser-assisted thermal coronary angioplasty in native coronary arteries and saphenous vein grafts: initial results and angiographic follow-up

Percutaneous laser-assisted thermal coronary angioplasty was attempted in 29 vessels (27 patients): 10 left anterior descending, 2 left circumflex and 17 mid-shaft (non-anastomotic) saphenous vein grafts. Argon or YAG laser thermal energy was applied via a 1.3, 1.6 or 1.9 mm metal capped probe followed by conventional balloon angioplasty in 27 vessels and sole thermal laser therapy in two vessels. The laser probe successfully crossed 83% (24/29) of vessels and subsequent balloon dilatation increased the success rate to 93% (25/27). Perforation occurred in a vein graft resulting in one in-hospital death post repeat emergency coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Angiographic follow-up was obtained in 85% (24/28) of vessels. Angiographic restenosis ( greater than 50% reduction in lumen diameter) occurred in 27% (3/11) of native coronary arteries and 62% (8/13) of saphenous vein grafts. Therefore, despite high initial success rates, the application of laser thermal energy with small laser probes relative to vessel size, followed by conventional balloon angioplasty, does not appear to alter restenosis. Further evaluation of coronary laser systems should be continued only with catheters that are capable of creating channels closer to the size of the vessel treated.     

Coronary angioplasty via saphenous vein grafts

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of coronary stenoses distal to anastomosis of a venous graft was attempted through the graft 22 times in 19 patients. Ten patients had stable angina, seven unstable angina and two patients acute myocardial infarction. The mean interval between bypass surgery and angioplasty was 6.5 years (range 1-15). Fifteen lesions were dilated in the left anterior descending artery, five in the right coronary artery, and two in the circumflex artery. Three procedures were for double lesions. In two cases, a stenosed vein graft was also dilated. All grafts were cannulated with an El Gamal guiding catheter. The procedure failed in two cases. The remaining 20 lesions were successfully dilated. Early and late occlusion of the graft occurred in one patient, and coronary arterial stenosis recurred in two patients. All three patients underwent successful redilatation. The 17 patients undergoing successful dilatation were asymptomatic, with a normal exercise test and/or maintained angiographic result at follow-up of 14 months mean duration (range 2-48). Angioplasty of coronary stenosis through a vein graft is feasible, safe and effective. This therapeutic approach avoids the need for repeat bypass surgery and, as judged by long-term follow-up, has a favourable clinical outcome.     

Risk of distal embolization and infarction with transluminal extraction atherectomy in saphenous vein grafts and native coronary arteries

Lower success rates have been reported when treating high-risk lesions in saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) and native coronary arteries with balloon angioplasty. The transluminal extraction atherectomy catheter (TEC) has been proposed to reduce the incidence of distal embolization (DE) in subsets of high-risk lesions. To define the utility of TEC in reducing the incidence of DE, all patients who were enrolled in the New Approaches to Coronary Interventions (NACI) Registry and had TEC planned as the sole treatment were studied (329 patients with 381 lesions). Of the lesions treated, 75.9% were in SVGs; 37.5% were thrombotic; and 15% were total occlusions. Adjunctive percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was performed in 87.4% of lesions. Multivariate predictors of DE were: noncardiac disease, stand alone TEC, thrombus, and larger vessel size. DE was associated with an 18.5% in-hospital mortality vs. 3.0% without DE (P < 0.01) and a 25.9% MI rate vs. 5.0% without DE (P < 0.01). In conclusion, in this high-risk subset of patients, TEC is associated with an 8.3% incidence of DE with thrombotic and SVGs lesions. DE associated with TEC appears to carry high morbidity and mortality. Additional techniques to control DE are needed to reduce the frequency of complications in these patients. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 47:149–154, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in diffuse subtotally occluded vein grafts

In this brief case report, we describe the results of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in two diffusely diseased, atretic saphenous vein grafts 18 and 72 months after surgery. At late follow-up, both patients remain angina-free. Although the diffuse nature of such lesions may be associated with increased rates of restenosis, these preliminary observations support future efforts to dilate similar, chronically diseased saphenous vein grafts.     

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of saphenous vein graft stenosis: long-term follow-up

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was used to treat 101 patients with saphenous vein bypass graft stenosis at a mean of 50.1 months (range 2 to 196) after coronary artery bypass surgery. The patients presented between March 1981 and April 1987. A total of 107 saphenous vein grafts were dilated at 117 sites. The primary success rate was 91.8%. The incidence of cardiac complications was 7.1%. There were no cardiac complications in 53 patients with grafts implanted less than 36 months before angioplasty (Group 1). The 48 patients with grafts implanted for greater than 36 months (Group 2) had a 12.5% incidence rate of myocardial infarction, a 4% incidence rate of emergent bypass surgery and a 4% incidence rate of death for an overall cardiac complication rate of 14.9% (p less than 0.01). Follow-up was obtained at a mean of 16.8 +/- 13.9 months (range 1 to 54) in 87 patients (97% of successful cases). Repeat coronary angiography was performed in 49 patients and revealed restenosis in 30 patients (61.2%), with no difference in recurrence rates for proximal, mid or distal graft sites. Clinical recurrence (defined as recurrence of symptoms, myocardial infarction, repeat angioplasty, surgery or death) was 33.1% for Group 1 patients and 64.1% for Group 2 patients (p less than 0.01). The complication and recurrence rates of saphenous vein graft angiography are significantly higher when performed for late (greater than 36 months) vein graft failure. All therapeutic options should be carefully examined before proceeding with angioplasty for saphenous vein graft stenosis in this type of patient.     

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of stenotic saphenous vein right coronary bypass grafts utilizing a peripheral balloon dilatation catheter without a guiding catheter

Effective angioplasty of stenosed saphenous vein coronary bypass grafts may be impossible with the standard-size coronary dilatation catheters because the large diameter of these grafts results in unacceptable balloon-to-vessel ratios. We avoided this problem by using a peripheral arterial dilatation catheter with an inflation diameter of 6 mm and obtained a satisfactory short- and long-term result in two patients in whom previous attempts with the largest coronary dilatation catheter (4 mm) had failed. This technique, which precludes the use of a guiding catheter, is suitable only for right bypass grafts.     

Comparison of intracoronary gamma radiation for in-stent restenosis in saphenous vein grafts versus native coronary arteries

Intracoronary gamma radiation is effective in reducing recurrent in-stent restenosis (ISR) involving native coronary arteries. This study compares the effectiveness and safety of intracoronary gamma radiation for the treatment of ISR in saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) versus native coronary arteries. In the Washington Radiation for In-Stent restenosis Trial (WRIST) series of gamma radiation trials, 1,142 patients with ISR (230 in SVG and 912 in native coronary arteries) completed 6-month clinical follow-up. All patients underwent balloon angioplasty, atherectomy, and/or restenting. Different ribbon lengths containing 6 to 23 seeds of iridium-192 were used to cover lesion lengths <80 mm. The prescribed radiation doses were 14 or 15 Gy at 2-mm radial distance from the center of the source. Baseline demographics showed that patients with SVGs were older (65 +/- 13 vs 61 +/- 11 years, p <0.001), more likely male (79% vs 64%, p <0.001), had more multivessel coronary disease (81% vs 50%, p <0.001), and less diffuse lesions (17 +/- 10 vs 24 +/- 12 mm, p <0.001). At 6 months, event-free survival was similar for patients with SVG ISR and native coronary ISR (82% vs 84%, p = 0.35). The SVG ISR population had a low rate of late total occlusion (4.6%) and late thrombosis (3.5%). Thus, treatment of ISR with gamma radiation in SVGs had similar outcome to native coronary arteries. The use of gamma radiation for the treatment of ISR should expand to SVGs.     

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of oversized saphenous coronary bypass grafts: 'hugging balloons' or single peripheral dilatation catheter technique?

The use of angioplasty in patients with previous coronary bypass grafts (CABG) has been described in several reports. CABG diameter often exceeds the size of the available coronary balloon dilatation catheters. Simultaneous inflation of two side-by-side balloons or a peripheral angioplasty catheter have been used to achieve optimal balloon-vessel ratio. We describe our experience with the two-balloon technique (case 1) and with a single peripheral angioplasty balloon (case 2) to dilate oversized CABG.     

经皮冠状动脉介入治疗64例静脉桥血管病变的临床疗效

目的 评价静脉桥血管经皮冠状动脉介入治疗及支架治疗后的早期临床结果。方法对64例91处大隐静脉桥血管病变行介入治疗,将术中及住院期间的临床结果和术中应用的其他介入治疗辅助装置一并录入数据库并进行分析。结果手术成功率95．3％;术中发生非Q波心肌梗死1例(1．6％)。一过性无再流现象4例(6．3％),其中1例置人支架后无再流而出现室颤,经电除颤、心脏按压、气管插管及置入主动脉内气囊反搏装置后血流恢复正常。应用血管远端保护装置7例(10．9％),X-sizer取栓系统4例;术中或术后应用血小板GPⅡb／Ⅲa受体拮抗剂25例(39．1％)。住院期共发生非Q波心肌梗死2例,主要心脏不良事件发生率为3．1％。结论静脉桥血管的经皮冠状动脉介入加支架治疗的即刻成功率高,近期临床效果满意,中、远期结果有待进一步随访;血管远端保护装置和血小板受体拮抗剂的应用有可能改善预后。     

Percutaneous rescue transluminal coronary angioplasty

Rescue angioplasty is an operation performed in the acute stage of myocardial infarction where systemic thrombolysis did not lead to opening of the artery. Investigations made in recent years indicate the benefit of rescue angioplasty only in those patients where the infarcted artery is patent several hours after evidence that thrombolysis failed. At the same time they provide evidence of the increasing safety and technical success of the operation. The authors present a brief review of the literature pertaining to the development of views, and emphasize the need of early and correct indication.     

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of radial artery grafts

The radial artery is being used with increasing frequency to replace the saphenous vein as a coronary artery bypass graft, in the belief that it will provide improved long-term patency. Several centers have confirmed that the early results of surgery using the radial artery seem to be better than those obtained with saphenous grafts. Despite these apparent gains, early failure of the radial artery graft can occur and is frequently associated with symptomatic myocardial ischemia. Percutaneous angioplasty is an alternative to reoperation to treat lesions occurring on radial artery grafts. We report on 4 patients who underwent angioplasty of radial artery grafts. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Diagn. 45:400–404, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.