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To assess the inter methodological agreement of membrane septum (MS) length measurement and additive value for risk stratification of new pacemaker implantation (PMI) over the established predictors after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).Recent studies have suggested MS length and implantation depth (ID) as predictors for PMI after TAVR. However, the measurement of MS length is neither uniform nor validated in different cohort.We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent TAVR at five centers. The MS length was measured by two previously proposed methods (coronal and annular view method). Predictive ability of risk factors, including MS length and ID, for new PMI within 30 days after TAVR were evaluated.Among 754 patients of study population, 31 patients (4.1%) required new PMI within 30 days of TAVR. There was a weak correlation (ρ = 0.47) and a poor agreement between the two methods. The ID and the difference between MS length and ID (ΔMSID), were independent predictors for new PMI, whereas MS length alone was not. Further, for predicting new PMI after TAVR, discrimination performance was not significantly improved when MS length was added to the model with ID alone (integrated discrimination improvement = 0, p= 0.99; continuous net-reclassification improvement = 0.10, p= 0.62).External validity and predictive accuracy of MS length for PMI after TAVR were not sufficient to provide better risk stratification over the established predictors in our cohort. Moreover, the ID and ΔMSID, but not MS length alone, are predictive of future PMI after TAVR.

Background Ventricular‐arterial coupling predicts outcomes in patients with heart failure. The arterial elastance to end‐systolic elastance ratio (Ea/Ees) is a noninvasively assessed index that reflects ventricular‐arterial coupling. We aimed to determine the prognostic value of ventricular‐arterial coupling assessed through Ea/Ees after transcatheter aortic valve replacement to predict clinical events. Methods and Results We retrieved data on 1378 patients (70% women) who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement between October 2013 and May 2017 from the OCEAN‐TAVI (Optimized transCathEter vAlvular iNtervention) Japanese multicenter registry. We determined the association between Ea/Ees and the composite end point of hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death by classifying the patients into quartiles based on Ea/Ees values (group 1: 0.666) during the midterm follow‐up after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. During a median follow‐up period of 736 days (interquartile range, 414–956), there were 247 (17.9%) all‐cause deaths, 89 (6.5%) cardiovascular deaths, 130 (9.4%) hospitalizations for heart failure, and 199 (14.4%) composite events of hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death. The incidence of the composite end point was significantly higher in group 2 (hazard ratio [HR], 1.76; 95% CI, 1.08–2.87 [ P =0.024]), group 3 (HR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.53–3.86 [ P P P =0.015]). Conclusions These findings suggest that a higher Ea/Ees at discharge after transcatheter aortic valve replacement is associated with adverse clinical outcomes during midterm follow‐up. Registration URL: https://www.upload.umin.ac.jp/ . Unique identifier: UMIN000020423.

Periprocedural bleeding is associated with an increased risk of mortality during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), especially in patients with severe chronic renal insufficiency. Therefore, trans-radial intervention (TRI) should be considered in these patients; however, PCI operators usually avoid this approach because of the risk of radial artery occlusion. We aimed to investigate the associations of TRI and in-hospital complications in these patients. This study included 306 consecutive patients with severe chronic renal insufficiency and/or on dialysis who underwent PCI. Patients were prospectively enrolled and divided according to the access site into TRI group and trans-femoral intervention group. Severe renal insufficiency was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate

The efficacy of extensive balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) beyond hemodynamic improvement in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) patients has been verified. However, the relationship between extensive BPA in CTEPH patients after partial hemodynamic improvement and exercise tolerance or quality of life (QOL) remains unclear. We prospectively enrolled 22 CTEPH patients (66±10 years, females: 59%) when their mean pulmonary artery pressure initially decreased to 2) showed significant improvement at entry, finish, and follow-up (17.3±5.5, 18.4±5.9, and 18.9±5.3 mL/kg/min, respectively; PP

The optimal technique for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of a bifurcation lesion remains uncertain. JBT/JCT techniques are now emerging for protection of the side branch (SB). We aimed to compare jailed balloon (JBT) and jailed Corsair (JCT) techniques to the conventional jailed wire technique.We analyzed 850 consecutive patients (995 bifurcation lesions), who underwent PCI. The bifurcation lesions were classified as jailed wire (-), jailed wire (+), JBT, and JCT. We assessed temporary thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade ≤2, permanent TIMI flow grade ≤2 in the SB, and SB occlusion related myocardial infarction and compared these endpoints with inverse probability treatment weighted analysis.The percentage of each group is as follows: jailed wire (-); 44.7%; jailed wire (+) 50.9%; JBT 1.7%; JCT 2.7%. The Corsair could not be delivered with a stent because of severe calcifications (3.7%) and a jailed balloon was entrapped with the stent after dilatation (5.9%). Compared to the jailed wire (+), JBT/JCT had a higher percentage of true bifurcations, arterial sheath size ≥7 Fr, and a lower proportion of wire recrossing (all, P 0.05). After adjustment, temporary and permanent TIMI flow grade ≤2 in the SB, and SB occlusion related myocardial infarction were not significantly different (OR: 1.08, CI: 0.32-3.71, P = 0.90; OR: 0.88, CI: 0.11-6.91, P = 0.91; OR: 1.94, CI: 0.23-16.5, P = 0.55 respectively).Our data could not prove the efficacy of JBT/JCT, but revealed novel insights about these techniques. A larger study is necessary to prove the efficacy of JBT/JCT.

Periprocedural bleeding is associated with increased risk of early mortality during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), especially in patients on dialysis. A transradial approach (TRA) should be considered for these patients; however, PCI operators avoid this approach because of the risk of radial artery occlusion (RAO). The aim of this study is to construct a TRA system and clarify its safety in patients on dialysis.Eighty-eight consecutive patients on dialysis who underwent cardiac catheterization were prospectively included in this study and divided according to the access site into either the TRA group or the transfemoral approach (TFA) group. Radial access was limited in the opposite side of arteriovenous fistula. The study endpoints were in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates, puncture-site related bleeding complications, and other complications. The study safety endpoints were procedure success rate and RAO rate in the TRA group.Mean patient age was 70.4 ± 8.5 years. PCI was performed in 43 patients (48.9%). The TRA and TFA groups included 62 patients (70.5%) and 26 patients (29.5%), respectively. In-hospital and 30-day mortality rates were 0.0% in both groups. Puncture-site bleeding rates were 3.8% in the TFA group and 0.0% in the TRA group (P=.12). Procedural success rate in the TRA group was 98.4%. Crossover to TFA was necessary in 1 patient due to radial artery spasm. RAO occurred in 4 patients (6.5%).Constructed TRA can be safely used in patients on dialysis. Our study could lead to an increase in TRA in these patients, which would lead to better prognosis and patient comfort.

We report the case of a 71-year-old woman diagnosed with recent inferior myocardial infarction complicated with right ventricular infarction and a right ventricular thrombus. Three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography, contrast-enhanced computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging clearly detected a thrombus. We consider cases with a recent right ventricular infarction to require assessment for thrombus formations in the right ventricle. Fortunately, vigorous anticoagulation therapy resolved the thrombi in both the right ventricle and right coronary artery.

Objectives: A calcified thrombus is rare, but needs to be recognized and to be differentiated from calcified nodule. Methods: We report a case of acute coronary syndrome and a large intracoronary mobile mass, which was identified as a calcified thrombus by optical frequency domain imaging and intravascular ultrasound. Results: Successful direct stenting indicated that mobile mass was a calcified thrombus, not a calcified nodule. Conclusions: Cardiologists should be aware that an intracoronary mobile mass could be a calcified thrombus. This diagnosis can be confirmed through the combined use of optical frequency domain imaging and intravascular ultrasound.