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Interventional Diagnostic Procedure: A Practical Guide for the Assessment of Coronary Vascular Function
Published on: March 15, 2022
Impact of atherectomy devices on coronary microcirculation during percutaneous coronary intervention
Satoshi Nakawatase1, Yasuhiro Ichibori1, Yohei Sotomi2
1Cardiovascular Division, Osaka Keisatsu Hospital, Japan.
Insights
Atherectomy devices (ADs) used during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) do not negatively impact coronary microcirculatory function. However, AD use is associated with increased troponin levels, suggesting potential microembolization and localized myocardial injury.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Interventional Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) abnormalities in index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) indicate microvascular dysfunction and predict adverse outcomes.
- Atherectomy devices (ADs) are used to treat complex calcified lesions, but their effect on post-PCI microcirculation is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of atherectomy devices (ADs) on post-procedural index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) in patients undergoing PCI.
- To compare microcirculatory indices and myocardial injury markers between patients treated with and without ADs.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-five patients with left anterior descending artery lesions underwent PCI with (n=42) or without (n=33) ADs.
- Index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) were measured post-procedure using bolus thermodilution.
- High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T levels were assessed, and propensity score matching was applied.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in post-procedural IMR or CFR were observed between the AD (+) and AD (-) groups (P > 0.05).
- These findings remained consistent after propensity score matching.
- The AD (+) group showed significantly higher post-PCI high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T levels compared to the AD (-) group (P = 0.003).
Conclusions:
- Contemporary atherectomy device use does not appear to impair coronary microcirculatory function immediately after PCI.
- Elevated troponin T levels in the AD (+) group suggest microembolization may cause subclinical myocardial injury during atherectomy.
Background:
Post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) abnormalities in the index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) reflect microvascular dysfunction and are associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Atherectomy devices (ADs) are commonly employed to optimize stent delivery and expansion in heavily calcified lesions; however, their impact on post-PCI microcirculatory indices remains uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate post-procedural IMR and CFR values in patients undergoing PCI with and without the use of ADs using the bolus thermodilution method.
Methods:
Seventy-five consecutive patients with left anterior descending artery lesions underwent PCI with (AD [+], n = 42) or without (AD [-], n = 33) rotational or orbital atherectomy. IMR and CFR were assessed immediately post-procedure, and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T levels were measured the following day. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for baseline differences.
Results:
There were no significant differences in IMR or CFR between the AD (+) and AD (-) groups (IMR: 16.79 ± 8.02 vs. 17.90 ± 7.63, P = 0.54; CFR: 2.64 ± 2.22 vs. 3.26 ± 1.33, P = 0.14). These findings persisted after matching. However, the AD (+) group demonstrated significantly higher post-PCI troponin T levels (0.32 ± 0.40 vs. 0.12 ± 0.13 ng/ml, P = 0.003).
Conclusions:
Contemporary use of ADs does not appear to adversely affect post-procedural coronary microcirculatory function. Nonetheless, the observed elevation in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T suggests that microembolization during atherectomy may contribute to subclinical localized myocardial injury.
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