Browsing by Author "Johnson, Thomas W. (56418917800)"

The Bifurcation Academic Research Consortium (Bif-ARC) project originated from the need to overcome the paucity of standardization and comparability between studies involving bifurcation coronary lesions. This document is the result of a collaborative effort between academic research organizations and the most renowned interventional cardiology societies focused on bifurcation lesions in Europe, the United States, and Asia. This consensus provides standardized definitions for bifurcation lesions; the criteria to judge the side branch relevance; the procedural, mechanistic, and clinical endpoints for every type of bifurcation study; and the follow-up methods. Considering the complexity of bifurcation lesions and their evaluation, detailed instructions and technical aspects for site and core laboratory analysis of bifurcation lesions are also reported. The recommendations included within this consensus will facilitate pooled analyses and the effective comparison of data in the future, improving the clinical relevance of trials in bifurcation lesions, and the quality of care in this subset of patients. © 2022 The Authors

The Bifurcation Academic Research Consortium (Bif-ARC) project originated from the need to overcome the paucity of standardization and comparability between studies involving bifurcation coronary lesions. This document is the result of a collaborative effort between academic research organizations and the most renowned interventional cardiology societies focused on bifurcation lesions in Europe, the United States, and Asia. This consensus provides standardized definitions for bifurcation lesions; the criteria to judge the side branch relevance; the procedural, mechanistic, and clinical endpoints for every type of bifurcation study; and the follow-up methods. Considering the complexity of bifurcation lesions and their evaluation, detailed instructions and technical aspects for site and core laboratory analysis of bifurcation lesions are also reported. The recommendations included within this consensus will facilitate pooled analyses and the effective comparison of data in the future, improving the clinical relevance of trials in bifurcation lesions, and the quality of care in this subset of patients. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American College of Cardiology and Europa Digital & Publishing.

The 2023 European Bifurcation Club (EBC) meeting took place in Warsaw in October, and the latest evidence for the use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) to optimise percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) on coronary bifurcation lesions (CBLs) was a major focus. The topic generated deep discussions and general appraisal on the potential benefits of IVUS and OCT in PCI procedures. Nevertheless, despite an increasing recognition of IVUS and OCT capabilities and their recognised central role for guidance in complex CBL and left main PCI, it is expected that angiography will continue to be the primary guidance modality for CBL PCI, principally due to educational and economic barriers. Mindful of the restricted access/adoption of intracoronary imaging for CBL PCI, the EBC board decided to review and describe a series of tips and tricks which can help to optimise angiography-guided PCI for CBLs. The identified key points for achieving an optimal angiography-guided PCI include a thorough analysis of pre-PCI images (computed tomography angiography, multiple angiographic views, quantitative coronary angiography vessel estimation), a systematic application of the technical steps suggested for a given selected technique, an intraprocedural or post-PCI use of stent enhancement and a low threshold for bailout use of intravascular imaging. © 2024 Europa Group. All rights reserved.

The 15th European Bifurcation Club (EBC) meeting was held in Barcelona in October 2019. It facilitated a renewed consensus on coronary bifurcation lesions (CBL) and unprotected left main (LM) percutaneous interventions. Bifurcation stenting techniques continue to be refined, developed and tested. It remains evident that a provisional approach with optional side branch treatment utilising T, T and small protrusion (TAP) or culotte continues to provide flexible options for the majority of CBL patients. Debate persists regarding the optimal treatment of side branches, including assessment of clinical significance and thresholds for bail-out treatment. In more complex CBL, especially those involving the LM, adoption of dedicated two-stent techniques should be considered. Operators using such techniques have to be fully familiar with their procedural steps and should acknowledge associated limitations and challenges. When using two-stent techniques, failure to perform a final kissing inflation is regarded as a technical failure, since it may jeopardise clinical outcome. The development of novel technical tools and drug regimens deserves attention. In particular, intracoronary imaging, bifurcation simulation, drug-eluting balloon technology and tailored antiplatelet therapy have been identified as promising tools to enhance clinical outcomes. In conclusion, the evolution of a broad spectrum of bifurcation PCI components has resulted from studies extending from bench testing to randomised controlled trials. However, further advances are still needed to achieve the ambitious goal of optimising the clinical outcomes for every patient undergoing PCI on a CBL. © Europa Digital & Publishing 2021.

Coronary artery bifurcation lesions are frequently encountered in cardiac catheterization laboratories and are associated with more complex procedures and worse clinical outcomes than nonbifurcation lesions. Therefore, anatomical and physiological assessment of bifurcation lesions before, during, and after percutaneous coronary intervention is of paramount clinical importance. Physiological assessment can help interventionalists appreciate the hemodynamic significance of coronary artery disease and guide ischemia-directed revascularization. However, it is important to understand that the physiological approach for bifurcation disease is more important than simply using physiological indexes for its assessment. This joint consensus document by the Korean, Japanese, and European bifurcation clubs presents the concept of a physiological approach for coronary bifurcation lesions, as well as current knowledge, practical tips, pitfalls, and future directions of applying physiological indexes in bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention. This document aims to guide interventionalists in performing appropriate physiology-based assessments and treatment decisions for coronary bifurcation lesions. © 2022 American College of Cardiology Foundation

Aims: Selective use of DES only in patients at higher risk of MACE is common practice, particularly in healthcare systems with a large premium payable for DES. We aimed to identify subgroups of patients in which the use of BMS in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for STEMI can still be justified. Methods and results: We performed a patient-level pooled analysis of COMFORTABLE AMI and EXAMINATION comparing contemporary DES with BMS in PPCI. A risk score was applied using three parameters: lesion length >15mm, vessel size <3 mm, and diabetes mellitus. Individual data were available for 2,655 patients. The incidence of MACE at one year was incrementally higher in patients with risk scores of 1 or 2/3. MACE rates were lower in patients with a risk score 0 or 1 who were treated with DES (p=0.0073 and p=0.008). No difference in death or reinfarction was seen between DES and BMS in any group. There was a significant reduction in TLR with DES in all three groups. Conclusions: A score comprising vessel size, lesion length, and diabetes did not identify patients at low risk with equivalent or better results from BMS use. The results suggest that the practice of only selective use of DES in primary PCI should be discouraged. © Europa Digital & Publishing 2017. All rights reserved.

Provisional stenting has become the default technique for the treatment of most coronary bifurcation lesions. However, the side branch (SB) can become compromised after main vessel (MV) stenting and restoring SB patency can be difficult in challenging anatomies. Angiographic and intracoronary imaging criteria can predict the risk of side branch closure and may encourage use of side branch protection strategies. These protective approaches provide strategies to avoid SB closure or overcome compromise following MV stenting, minimising periprocedural injury. In this article, we analyse the strategies of SB preservation discussed and developed during the most recent European Bifurcation Club (EBC) meetings.

Purpose of Review: The objective of this review is to summarize scientific statements on the diagnosis and management of myocardial infarction with no obstructive coronary artery disease (MINOCA); define the diagnostic role of optical coherence tomography (OCT), intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR); and provide representative case examples. Recent Findings: The majority of patients with MINOCA are evaluated by conventional coronary angiography. However, intracoronary imaging using OCT or IVUS permits more accurate understanding of the underlying pathology. These and other imaging modalities provide significant diagnostic and prognostic value. Summary: Although nonobstructive disease is the hallmark of the disease, MINOCA is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Every effort to define the underlying pathology is necessary and requires more standardized use of imaging in clinical practice. © 2020, The Author(s).

Purpose of Review: The objective of this review is to summarize scientific statements on the diagnosis and management of myocardial infarction with no obstructive coronary artery disease (MINOCA); define the diagnostic role of optical coherence tomography (OCT), intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR); and provide representative case examples. Recent Findings: The majority of patients with MINOCA are evaluated by conventional coronary angiography. However, intracoronary imaging using OCT or IVUS permits more accurate understanding of the underlying pathology. These and other imaging modalities provide significant diagnostic and prognostic value. Summary: Although nonobstructive disease is the hallmark of the disease, MINOCA is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Every effort to define the underlying pathology is necessary and requires more standardized use of imaging in clinical practice. © 2020, The Author(s).

Stepwise layered provisional stenting (PS) is the most commonly used strategy to treat coronary bifurcation lesions (CBL). The term “stepwise layered” emphasises the versatility of this approach that allows the adjustment of the procedure plan according to the CBL complexity, starting with stent implantation in one branch and implantation of a second stent in the other branch only when required. A series of refinements have been implemented over the years to facilitate the achievement of predictable procedural results using this approach. However, despite its simplicity and versatility, operators using this technique require full knowledge of the pitfalls of each procedural step. Part I of this 16th European Bifurcation Club consensus paper provides a detailed step-by-step overview of the pitfalls and technical troubleshooting during the implantation of the first stent using the PS strategy for the treatment of CBL. © Europa Digital & Publishing 2022. All rights reserved.

The European Bifurcation Club (EBC) supports a continuous review of the field of coronary artery bifurcation interventions and aims to facilitate a scientific discussion and an exchange of ideas on the management of bifurcation disease. The recent focus of meetings and consensus statements has been on the technical issues in bifurcation stenting, recognising that the final result of a bifurcation procedure and the long-term outcome for our patients are strongly influenced by factors, including preprocedural strategy, stenting technique selection, performance of optimal procedural steps, the ability to identify and correct complications and finally, and most important, the overall performance of the operator. Continuous refinement of bifurcation stenting techniques and the promotion of education and training in bifurcation stenting techniques represent a major clinical need. Accordingly, the consensus from the latest EBC meeting in Brussels, October 2021, was to promote education and training in bifurcation stenting based on the EBC principle. Part II of this 16th EBC consensus document aims to provide a step-by-step overview of the pitfalls and technical troubleshooting during the implantation of the second stent either in the provisional stenting (PS) strategy or in upfront 2-stent techniques (e.g., 2-stent PS pathway and double kissing crush stenting). Finally, a detailed overview and discussion of the numerous modalities available to provide continuous education and technical training in bifurcation stenting techniques are discussed, with consideration of their future application in enhancing training and practice in coronary bifurcation lesion treatment. © EuroIntervention.All rights reserved.