Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Med Case Rep 2019 Mar 21;13(1):90. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyoto Chubu Medical Center, 25, Yagi-Ueno, Yagi-cho, Nantan, Japan.

Background: Vascular closure devices have been widely used to achieve rapid hemostasis after percutaneous catheterization procedures via the common femoral artery. The EXOSEAL vascular closure device is a device that can deliver a bioabsorbable polyglycolic acid plug to fill the subcutaneous puncture route at the groin for rapid hemostasis, and this device has a lower risk of arterial occlusion than other vascular closure devices.

Case Presentation: An 83-year-old Japanese man underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for a proximal stenosis in his left circumflex artery through a 7-Fr sheath from his right common femoral artery. Read More

Cardiovasc Revasc Med 2019 Mar 12. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Disease, United States of America.

Objective: We sought to compare the transradial and transfemoral approaches for coronary angiography and percutaneous intervention in patients with coronary artery bypass grafts in terms of volume of radiographic contrast administered during cardiac catheterization, fluoroscopy time, and total procedure time.

Background: The transradial access has been increasingly used as an alternative to transfemoral. Several studies demonstrated that such access is associated with lower rates of vascular and bleeding complications. Read More

Innovations (Phila) 2019 Mar 18:1556984519836879. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

1 Department of Cardiac Surgery, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

Background: We compared early and late outcomes of patients who underwent femoral versus axillary artery cannulation for repair of acute type A aortic dissection.

Methods: Between 2004 and 2017, we retrospectively evaluated the clinical outcomes of 135 consecutive patients who underwent emergency surgery for acute type A aortic dissection repair. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those who underwent femoral ( n = 84) and those who underwent right axillary ( n = 51) artery cannulation. Read More

Pak J Med Sci 2019 Jan-Feb;35(1):166-171

Nadeem Hassan Rizvi National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi, Pakistan.

Background & Objective: Due to increase in number of cardiac catheterization procedures safety concerns is an issue nowadays. Multiple diagnostic modalities use radiations, which also put a patient at higher cumulative radiation exposure. Therefore steps should be taken to minimize radiation exposure during cardiac catheterization. Read More

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2019 Mar 15. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Adult and Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, Giessen University Hospital, Giessen, Germany.

Objectives: Limb ischaemia during extracorporeal life support (ECLS) using femoral artery cannulation is frequently observed even in patients with regular vessel diameters and without peripheral arterial occlusive disease. We investigated underlying pathomechanisms using a virtual fluid-mechanical simulation of the human circulation.

Methods: A life-sized model of the human aorta and major vascular branches was virtualized using 3-dimensional segmentation software (Mimics, Materialise). Read More

J Card Surg 2019 Mar 14. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Second Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan.

The axillary artery is an established alternative cannulation site for peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). However, axillary vein cannulation is not as common. Here, we present our experience with an axillo-axillary CPB combined with a femoro-femoral CPB in redo aortic root replacement. Read More

Perfusion 2019 Mar 13:267659118816934. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

6 Department of Anaesthesia, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.

In cases of severe cardiopulmonary deterioration, quick establishment of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) represents a support modality. After successful arterial peripheral cannulation, a certain grade of peripheral limb malperfusion is a fairly common phenomenon. Detection of peripheral malperfusion is vital, since it can result in compartment syndrome or even loss of the affected limb. Read More

Ann Cardiothorac Surg 2019 Jan;8(1):151-159

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantation, St. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

Each cannulation strategy for venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) has distinct benefits and drawbacks. In this article, various cannulation strategies including their indications are discussed. The gold standard for cannulation involves peripheral, percutaneous double cannulation utilizing the patient's femoral vein and artery. Read More

Braz J Cardiovasc Surg 2019 Jan-Feb;34(1):48-56

Department of Cardiology, Vm Medicalpark Kocaeli Hospital, Başiskele, Kocaeli, Turkey.

Objective: Over the past 10 years, the rate of patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has increased twofold in cases of coronary angiography. Today, transradial access is the first choice for coronary angiography. We aimed to compare the efficacy and reliability of radial versus femoral access for coronary angiography in post-CABG surgery in this study. Read More

Vasc Endovascular Surg 2019 Feb;53(2):112-117

1 Department of Vascular Surgery, St Olav's Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.

Objective:: This population-based retrospective cohort study investigates long-term results of femoropopliteal bypass and femoropopliteal endovascular intervention (PTA) in patients with critical ischemia, with focus on limb salvage and amputation-free survival.

Methods:: All patients who underwent femoropopliteal bypass or femoropopliteal PTA for critical ischemia without other simultaneous intervention between 1999 and 2013 were included. Stratification was according to treatment modality and symptoms, rest pain, or ischemic ulcer/gangrene. Read More

J Vis Exp 2019 Jan 31(143). Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital; Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University; Center for Lipid Biosciences, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital; Lipid Science and Aging Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University; Institute/Center of Medical Science and Technology, National Sun Yat-sen University;

For studies related to cardiovascular physiology or pathophysiology, blood pressure (BP) and electrocardiography are basic observational parameters. Research focusing on cardiovascular disease models, potential cardiovascular therapeutic targets or pharmaceutical agents requires assessment of systemic arterial pressure and heart rhythm changes. In situations where radio telemetry systems are not available or affordable, the technique of femoral artery cannulation is an alternative way to obtain intra-arterial pressure waveform recordings and systemic BP measurements. Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018 Dec 19. Epub 2018 Dec 19.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Aorta Center, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address:

Objectives: Consensus regarding initial cannulation site for acute type A dissection repair is lacking. Objectives were to review our experience with systematic initial axillary artery cannulation, characterize patients on the basis of cannulation site, and assess outcomes.

Methods: From January 2000 to January 2017, 775 patients underwent emergency acute type A dissection repair. Read More

Vet Anaesth Analg 2019 Mar 21;46(2):209-213. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Department of Comparative Medicine, Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.

Objective: To determine the degree of agreement between arterial and venous blood gases in anesthetized lambs using a point-of-care analyzer.

Study Design: Prospective experimental study.

Animals: A group of 12 female Dorset cross-bred lambs, weighing 37. Read More

Perfusion 2019 Feb 8:267659119827231. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

1 Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

Background:: Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support is a well-established tool in the care of severe refractory cardiac and respiratory failure. The application of this support may serve as a bridge to transplant, recovery or to implantation of a ventricular assist device. Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support can be administered through an open surgical access via the common femoral or axillary artery or a percutaneous approach using Seldinger technique. Read More

Paediatr Anaesth 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Background: Since the femoral artery frequently overlaps the femoral vein, femoral central venous catheterization carries the risk of arterial puncture in pediatric patients.

Aims: We evaluated the angle range of leg abduction with external hip rotation to minimize the overlap between the femoral artery and vein in pediatric patients undergoing general anesthesia.

Methods: Eighty-two pediatric patients who underwent elective surgery with general anesthesia were enrolled in this study. Read More

PLoS One 2019 6;14(2):e0211900. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Background: Repair of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a complex and emergent cardiovascular surgery that is associated with high perioperative morbidity and mortality. Each cannulation strategy has different benefits and drawbacks during cardiopulmonary bypass. Using a retrospective study design, we aimed to clarify the safety and efficacy of right axillary artery cannulation in combination with femoral artery cannulation compared to single arterial cannulation for ATAAD repair. Read More

Heart 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino) 2019 Apr 28;60(2):212-220. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Advanced Cardiac and Vascular Amputation Prevention Centers, Michigan State University, School of Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.

The orbital atherectomy system is a novel form of atherectomy that uses orbital sanding and pulsatile forces, an effective method of treatment for peripheral atherosclerotic lesions with varying levels of occlusion. Although the devices only has a general indication from the FDA to treat atherosclerotic lesions, they are effective in treating all kinds of lesions, and can therefore mitigate effects of all severities of peripheral artery disease. This approach to endovascular therapy involves the use of differential sanding to preferentially ablate fibrous, fibrofatty and calcified lesions, while deflecting healthy intima away from the crown. Read More

Diagn Interv Imaging 2019 Jan 25. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Department of Radiology, Henan Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, China.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of interventional techniques as a treatment for bleeding complications secondary to percutaneous cannulation for peripheral extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (PECMO).

Materials And Methods: Out of 1264 patients who underwent PECMO at our hospital between January 2009 and September 2018, we reviewed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of eight patients (4 men, 4 women; mean age, 54.9 years [range, 31-77 years]) who underwent percutaneous interventional treatment for bleeding complications secondary to percutaneous cannulation for PECMO. Read More

ASAIO J 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Division of Cardiac Surgery, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington.

Patients on extracorporeal life support (ECLS) are at risk for central nervous system (CNS) injury. One potentially modifiable risk factor is site of arterial cannulation in venoarterial (VA) ECLS, as in most cases one can choose the femoral or carotid artery. There is acute alteration in cerebral blood flow with carotid cannulation, potentially increasing the risk of stroke. Read More

Ann Vasc Surg 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Vascular Surgery, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy.

Background: The aim of this study is to report the Destino-guided branched endovascular aortic repair approach as a valid alternative to catheterization downward branches in complex aortic arch/descending thoracic anatomies.

Methods & Results: A 53-year-old woman with Marfan syndrome underwent a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair for a type III dissecting aneurysm. A custom repair with an endograft having 3 fenestrations (for renal arteries and superior mesenteric artery) and 1 branch for the celiac trunk was planned. Read More

Phytomedicine 2019 Feb 19;54:9-16. Epub 2018 Oct 19.

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; Cardiovascular Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand. Electronic address:

Background: Enhancing relaxation of resistance arteries and decreasing oxidative stress by using natural products are potential strategies for prevention and treatment of hypertension.

Purpose: This study investigated whether aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera leaves (MOE) could alleviate N-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME)-induced high blood pressure via modulation of vascular function and antioxidant properties.

Methods: An experimental hypertensive model was established by administration of L-NAME (50 mg/kg/day) in drinking water to male Wistar rats for 3 weeks. Read More

J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino) 2019 Apr 18;60(2):191-197. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Department of Vascular Surgery, St. Franziskus-Hospital GmbH Münster, Münster, Germany.

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided directional atherectomy enables a real-time visualization of the arterial wall during plaque debulking and might optimize vessel preparation prior to drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty. Nonetheless there is a paucity of data reporting on the outcomes of OCT-guided directional atherectomy with antirestenotic therapy (DAART). Aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of OCT-guided DAART in the treatment of femoropopliteal atherosclerosis. Read More

Exp Ther Med 2019 Jan 6;17(1):437-443. Epub 2018 Nov 6.

Department of Emergency, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.

Acute pancreatitis is an acute abdominal disease, with 10-20% of the cases deteriorating rapidly, accompanied by persistent organ failure and further development into severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanism of fluid resuscitation via the rectum in the early stages of SAP and the role of aquaporins (AQPs). An SAP model was constructed by injection of 5% sterile sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct of Sprague Dawley rats, and the mean arterial pressure (MAP) was continuously monitored via femoral artery catheterization. Read More

J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino) 2019 Apr 16;60(2):198-204. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Interventional Cardiovascular Group, Pasteur Toulouse Clinic, Pasteur GCVI Clinic, Toulouse, France.

Endovascular treatment for peripheral artery occlusive disease carries unresolved problem of restenosis. Treatment modalities in areas of high mechanical stress like popliteal artery and common femoral artery remains challenging. New-generation devices improved the results of stent therapy in this anatomical territory, but could impact on future surgical options if they are needed. Read More

J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino) 2019 Apr 16;60(2):205-211. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Department of Cardiology and Angiology, GRN Hospital Weinheim, Weinheim, Germany.

Within the last years, many new endovascular treatment modalities have been invented for treatment of peripheral arterial disease. To leave nothing behind and to keep options for future treatment are key issues of these new revascularization procedures. Drug coated balloon technology (DCB) is one key element in this strategy but there are still limitations for this revascularization technology. Read More

Case Rep Cardiol 2018 13;2018:5498052. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Cardiology, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11219, USA.

A 73-year-old female with multiple comorbidities including coronary artery disease was admitted for an elective PCI of a lesion detected in the RCA. On the day of the planned PCI, shortly after right femoral artery cannulation, the patient developed a sudden complete heart block requiring the administration atropine and insertion of a temporary pacemaker. Concomitantly, the patient developed acute pulmonary edema, hypotension, and hypoxia requiring intubation for mechanical ventilation. Read More

Int J Surg Case Rep 2019 9;55:4-6. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University (HMU), Hanoi, Viet Nam.

Introduction: There are few reports on applying totally endoscopic surgery (TES) for repairing ventricular septal defect (VSD), especially in children.

Case Presentation: We described an 8-year-old girl, weighing 17 kg, who was diagnosed with peri-membranous VSD and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The patient had undergone trans-catheter PDA closure first, and 3 weeks later, TES was performed for VSD repair through 4 small trocars (one 12 mm trocar and three 5 mm trocars) without robotic assistance. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Department of Neurosurgery, New York University School of Medicine, NY, USA.

Background: Neurovascular training models include animal models, synthetics, or computer simulation. In vivo models are expensive and require significant resources. Synthetic/computer models do not reflect the elasticity of fresh vessels. Read More

Vet Surg 2019 Jan 12. Epub 2019 Jan 12.

Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.

Objective: To determine whether a balloon for resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) could be accurately placed in the descending aorta between the left subclavian and celiac arteries (zone I) by using external anatomic landmarks in dogs.

Study Design: Cadaver study.

Sample Population: Fifteen canine cadavers of 3 weight categories (10-20, 20-30, and ≥ 30 kg). Read More

Stress 2019 Jan 11:1-11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

a a Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Araraquara , SP, Brazil.

Habituation of cardiovascular responses upon repeated exposure to stress is controversial. Hence, we hypothesized that habituation of cardiovascular stress responses is influenced by length, frequency, and number of stress sessions in male Wistar rats. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded via femoral artery catheterization and the tail cutaneous temperature was evaluated using a thermal imager. Read More

Indian Heart J 2018 Dec 6;70 Suppl 3:S347-S352. Epub 2018 Oct 6.

Cardio-Thoracic Vascular Surgery, Apollo Hospital, Greams Road, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Background: Despite the increasing popularity of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), only about 10,000 TAVR cases have been performed in Asia to date. The procedure is still in a nascent stage in India with very few centers offering this state-of-art technique. Here, we present the early results of TAVR experience at our center. Read More

Vasc Endovascular Surg 2019 Apr 18;53(3):206-211. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

1 Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.

Purpose:: We evaluated the feasibility and safety of the reverse catheterization technique of the superficial femoral artery (ReCAT) for single-stage endovascular treatment (EVT) in patients with bilateral infrainguinal diseases.

Materials And Methods:: We retrospectively evaluated 24 consecutive patients (overall median age: 79 years; male patients: 21 [87.5%]) who underwent EVT for bilateral infrainguinal diseases. Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Division of Cardiology, Aultman Hospital, Canton, Ohio.

Background: The mid-femoral head (F ) is a common fluoroscopic target for common femoral artery (CFA) puncture during cardiac catheterization. Punctures above the inguinal ligament (marking the proximal end of CFA) increase the risk of retroperitoneal hemorrhage and are classified as high punctures.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 114 CT angiograms for the anatomic relationship of the inguinal ligament to the femoral head (FH) and inferior epigastric artery (IEA). Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2019 Mar 11;93(4):639-644. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Cardiology, American Hospital of Paris and Hôpital Foch, Suresnes, France.

Since its introduction by Lucien Campeau three decades ago, percutaneous radial artery approach at the forearm has been shown to provide advantages over the femoral approach and has become the standard approach for coronary angiography and intervention. Though infrequent, vascular complications still remain, mainly radial artery occlusion. Therefore, a more distal radial approach at the snuffbox or at the dorsum of hand has been suggested, initially by anethesiologists for perioperative patient monitoring, and more recently by Babunashvili et al. Read More

Case Rep Cardiol 2018 8;2018:2041643. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Department of Cardiovascular Services, Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Huntington, WV, USA.

We report a case of cardiac catheterization that was done entirely by accidentally accessing the inferior epigastric artery (IEA) through an unintentional puncture of the U-shaped portion of the inferior epigastric artery. Luckily the patient did not have any trauma to the IEA and was d/c home with no complications. A 48-year-old female with history of hypertension and CAD S/P left circumflex stent many years ago who presented to our facility with persistent crescendo angina for which decision was made to proceed with LHC. Read More

Braz J Cardiovasc Surg 2018 Sep-Oct;33(5):443-447

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, İstanbul Mehmet Akif Ersoy Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Introduction: Various surgical procedures for minimally invasive cardiac surgery have been described in recent decades as alternatives to median sternotomy. Cardiopulmonary bypass via femoral arterial and venous cannulation is the foundation of these procedures. In this study, we evaluated the mid-term outcomes of femoral cannulation performed with U-suture technique in patients undergoing robotic heart surgery. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2018 Dec 5;19:1441-1444. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Interventional Cardiology, Advanced Cardiovascular Institute, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

BACKGROUND Radial artery access during coronary angiography has gained popularity as there are fewer associated complications when compared with femoral artery access. However sporadic complications can occur following radial artery catheterization. A rare case of axillary, chest wall and abdominal hematoma is presented following radial artery catheterization. Read More

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2019 Jan 26;33(1):39-44. Epub 2018 May 26.

Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Electronic address:

Objectives: The use of monitored anesthesia care (MAC) for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is gaining favor in the United States, although general anesthesia (GA) continues to be common for these procedures. Open surgical cutdown for transfemoral TAVR has been a relative contraindication for TAVR with MAC at most centers. The objective of this study was to review the authors' results of transfemoral TAVR performed in patients with open surgical cutdown with the use of MAC. Read More

J Interv Cardiol 2018 Dec 19;31(6):969-977. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit Heart Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.

Femoral and radial artery access continue to be the standard of care for percutaneous coronary interventions. Cardiac catheterization has progressed to encompass a wide range of diagnostic and interventional procedures including coronary, peripheral, endovascular, and structural heart disease interventions. Despite advanced technology to make these procedures safe, bleeding, and vascular complications continue to be a substantial source of morbidity, especially in patients undergoing large-bore access procedures. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2018 Nov 14. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Division of General Internal Medicine; Seton Hall Hackensack-Meridian School of Medicine; Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Electronic address:

When hemodynamic instability occurs during transcatheter aortic valve replacement peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass is required. The pigtail catheter, initially placed through the femoral artery to direct placement of the valve, is exchanged over a wire for an arterial bypass cannula. Other than time consuming arterial cut-down procedures in hypotensive patients, there are few techniques described to allow the operator to continue bypass and complete TAVR. Read More

Intensive Care Med 2018 Dec 14;44(12):2153-2161. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Institute of Cardiology, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Sorbonne University, 47-83, Boulevard de l'hopital, Paris, 75013, France.

Purpose: Femoral artery surgical cannulation is the reference for venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in adults. However, the less invasive percutaneous approach has been associated with lower rates of complications. This retrospective study compared complication rates and overall survival in a large series of patients who received surgical or percutaneous peripheral VA-ECMO. Read More

Cardiovasc Revasc Med 2018 Oct 25. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Baystate Medical Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Springfield, MA, United States of America; Tufts University School of Medicine, MA, United States of America.

Background: The radial artery is the access of choice in many catheterization labs around the world due to its proven benefits over the femoral artery access. There has been growing interest in the left radial artery. We sought to evaluate the feasibility, safety and complication rates of the left distal radial artery (ldTRA) access for cardiac catheterization. Read More

Int Heart J 2019 Jan 5;60(1):231-234. Epub 2018 Nov 5.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea.

In massive pulmonary thromboembolism, requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation, venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation can decompress the overloaded right atrium and ventricle while stabilizing hemodynamic status. However, vascular injuries occur in slightly less than 20% of cases during cannulation. In a 44-year-old woman with suspected pulmonary thromboembolism, a common femoral artery perforation occurred unexpectedly during cannulation for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Read More

Indian Heart J 2018 Sep - Oct;70(5):709-712. Epub 2018 Feb 3.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Max Superspeciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi, India.

Objective: Retrospective analysis of the feasibility, safety and results of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) stenting in low birth weight babies weighing < 2kg.

Background: Stenting of patent ductus arteriosus is a well known palliative technique for several years as an alternative to shunt surgery in babies weighing > 2.5-3kg. Read More

Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 2018 Dec;32(6):625-632

Department of Cardiology, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Viale Tre Martiri 140, 45100, Rovigo, Italy.

Over the last years, fentanyl, a potent synthetic μ receptor-stimulating opioid, has become one of the most used drugs for both procedural analgesia and sedation in patients undergoing coronary angiography (CA) and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, few studies have been performed to evaluate the efficacy and the impact of this drug in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) treated with PCI. Most of the previous studies have investigated the self-reported discomfort pain, demonstrating that patients premedicated with fentanyl generally reported a lower pain/discomfort when compared to placebo, benzodiazepines, or local anesthesia at the site of the artery cannulation, without significant variation in the hemodynamic response. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Interv 2018 Aug;11(8):e006074

Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, Germany (S.M.G., S.M.H., K.M., I.O., J.H., T.M., R.A.B., S.K., S.C., M.F., H.S., A.K., S.S.).

Background: The value of vascular closure devices (VCD) in women undergoing transfemoral catheterization has not been sufficiently investigated.

Methods And Results: This is a sex-specific analysis of 1395 women enrolled in a large-scale, randomized, multicenter trial, in which patients undergoing transfemoral diagnostic coronary angiography were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to arteriotomy closure with an intravascular VCD, extravascular VCD, or manual compression (MC). Primary objective was to assess the safety and efficacy of 2 different VCD compared with MC regarding vascular access-site complications at 30 days. Read More

J Geriatr Cardiol 2018 Sep;15(9):585-590

The Second Department of Cardiology, Hellenic Red Cross Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Background: Transradial access for coronary catheterization is more technically challenging compared to the traditional transfemoral approach and radial access failure is quite common. The aim of this study is to describe the additional steps after initial radial access site failure in a high specialized forearm approach center.

Methods: A retrospective evaluation of all coronary catheterizations performed in our Department between January 2016 and December 2016 was performed, with focus on arterial access. Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2018 Oct 20. Epub 2018 Oct 20.

Division of Cardiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.

Introduction: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is typically performed with vascular access provided by the radial or femoral artery. However, little is known about how patients value aspects of these different vascular access approaches.

Methods: Conjoint analysis is a survey-based statistical technique used in market research that helps determine how individuals value different attributes that make up a particular product or services. Read More

J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr 2019 Jan - Feb;13(1):68-74. Epub 2018 Oct 13.

Cardiology Department, Rabin Medical Center, 39 Jabotinski St., Petah Tikva, 4941492, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel. Electronic address:

Background: Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) carries a risk of Vascular Complications (VCs) at the access site. The currently used measures for assessing the risk for VCs are not accurate enough, and sometimes fail to predict them. We therefore aimed to examine whether Iliofemoral artery lumen volume (IFV) assessment with 3-dimensional computed tomography (CT) predicts VCs after transfemoral TAVR. Read More