Coronary Artery Reperfusion

The effects of coronary artery reperfusion 3 hr after coronary occlusion on contractile function and the development of myocardial damage at 24 hr was studied experimentally. In 14 control and 6 reperfused dogs, relationships between epicardial ST segment elevation 15 min after coronary occlusion and myocardial creatine phosphokinase activity (CPK) and histologic appearance 24 hr later were examined. The electrocardiograms were recorded from 10 to 15 sites on the left ventricular epicardium and transmural samples for CPK and histology were obtained from the same sites where epicardial electrocardiograms had been recorded. An inverse relation existed between ST segment elevation (mv) 15 min after occlusion and log CPK activity (IU/ mg of protein) 24 hr later, log CPK = - 0.06ST + 1.26. In dogs subjected to coronary artery reperfusion, there was significantly less CPK depression (log CPK = - 0.01ST + 1.31, [P < 0.01]) than that expected from the control group. In the control group 97% of specimens showing ST segment elevations over 2 mv at 15 min showed abnormal histology 24 hr later. In contrast, in the reperfused group 43% of sites exhibiting elevated ST segment at 15 min showed abnormal histology 24 hr later. In six additional dogs it was shown that the paradoxical movement of the left ventricular wall could be reversed within 1 hr of perfusion. Therefore, by enzymatic and histologic criteria, as well as by functional assessment, coronary artery reperfusion 3 hr after occlusion resulted in salvage of myocardial tissue

A subject-specific technique for respiratory motion correction in image-guided cardiac catheterisation procedures

We describe a system for respiratory motion correction of MRI-derived roadmaps for use in X-ray guided cardiac catheterisation procedures. The technique uses a subject-specific affine motion model that is quickly constructed from a short pre-procedure MRI scan. We test a dynamic MRI sequence that acquires a small number of high resolution slices, rather than a single low resolution volume. Additionally, we use prior knowledge of the nature of cardiac respiratory motion by constraining the model to use only the dominant modes of motion. During the procedure the motion of the diaphragm is tracked in X-ray fluoroscopy images, allowing the roadmap to be updated using the motion model. X-ray image acquisition is cardiac gated. Validation is performed on four volunteer datasets and three patient datasets. The accuracy of the model in 3D was within 5 mm in 97.6% of volunteer validations. For the patients, 2D accuracy was improved from 5 to 13 mm before applying the model to 2–4 mm afterwards. For the dynamic MRI sequence comparison, the highest errors were found when using the low resolution volume sequence with an unconstrained model

2D-3D registration of cardiac images using catheter constraints

Abstract Introduction Cardiac catheterization procedures are routinely guided using X-ray fluoroscopy. This modality is suitable due to its high spatial and temporal resolutions, relative low-cost, ubiquitous availability and excellent catheter visibility. However, fluoroscopy has poor softtissue contrast and the cardiologists need to rely on their expertise to accurately position the catheters. Cardiac electrophysiology (EP) procedures are commonly carried out to treat electrical pathologies, such as arrhythmias, usually using radio-frequency (RF) ablation of endocardial tissue. These procedures are often prolonged due to the requirement of accurate positioning of catheters and therefore there is significant radiation exposure to the patient and staff, and often a suboptimal success rate. Recently, there has been much research to register pre-procedural three-dimensional (3D) anatomical information from computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to help guide EP procedures by overlaying the 3D anatomical information onto the live two-dimensional (2D) X-ray fluoroscopy [1]. Rhode et al. previously reported a technique that uses a pre-calibrated hybrid X-ray/MR (XMR) imaging system Using the CS catheter for registration is attractive since no additional data acquisition is required and therefore there is no disturbance to the routine clinical workflow. Sra et al. first proposed using the CS catheter for 2D-3D registration We aim to develop a clinically robust method to perform 2D-3D registration of 3D cardiac data (CT or MR) to X-ray fluoroscopy using catheters that are reconstructed in 3D from sequential biplane X-ray images, and structures segmented from 3D data. We focus on the use of the CS and the aortic catheters. Our approach differs from that of Sra et al. because we perform the registration in 3D and then project to the Xray image using a pre-calibration of the X-ray system. Furthermore, the registration only needs to be performed at the beginning of the procedure and is then updated automatically by tracking the motion of the X-ray c-arm and table. Repeat registration is only required if the patient has moved on the X-ray table. We demonstrate the use of the approach on three clinical EP procedures

Lone Atrial Fibrillation Is Associated With Impaired Left Ventricular Energetics That Persists Despite Successful Catheter Ablation

Background: Lone atrial fibrillation (AF) may reflect a subclinical cardiomyopathy that persists after sinus rhythm (SR) restoration, providing a substrate for AF recurrence. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effect of restoring SR by catheter ablation on left ventricular (LV) function and energetics in patients with AF but no significant comorbidities. Methods: Fifty-three patients with symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent AF and without significant valvular disease, uncontrolled hypertension, coronary artery disease, uncontrolled thyroid disease, systemic inflammatory disease, diabetes mellitus, or obstructive sleep apnea (ie, lone AF) undergoing ablation and 25 matched control subjects in SR were investigated. Magnetic resonance imaging quantified LV ejection fraction (LVEF), peak systolic circumferential strain (PSCS), and left atrial volumes and function, whereas phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy evaluated ventricular energetics (ratio of phosphocreatine to ATP). AF burden was determined before and after ablation by 7-day Holter monitoring; intermittent ECG event monitoring was also undertaken after ablation to investigate for asymptomatic AF recurrence. Results: Before ablation, both LV function and energetics were significantly impaired in patients compared with control subjects (LVEF, 61% [interquartile range (IQR), 52%–65%] versus 71% [IQR, 69%–73%], P<0.001; PSCS, –15% [IQR, –11 to –18%] versus −18% [IQR, –17% to –19%], P=0.002; ratio of phosphocreatine to ATP, 1.81±0.35 versus 2.05±0.29, P=0.004). As expected, patients also had dilated and impaired left atria compared with control subjects (all P<0.001). Early after ablation (1–4 days), LVEF and PSCS improved in patients recovering SR from AF (LVEF, 7.0±10%, P=0.005; PSCS, –3.5±4.3%, P=0.001) but were unchanged in those in SR during both assessments (both P=NS). At 6 to 9 months after ablation, AF burden reduced significantly (from 54% [IQR, 1.5%–100%] to 0% [IQR 0%–0.1%]; P<0.001). However, LVEF and PSCS did not improve further (both P=NS) and remained impaired compared with control subjects (P<0.001 and P=0.003, respectively). Similarly, there was no significant improvement in atrial function from before ablation (P=NS), and this remained lower than in control subjects (P<0.001). The ratio of phosphocreatine to ATP was unaffected by heart rhythm during assessment and AF burden before ablation (both P=NS). It was unchanged after ablation (P=0.57), remaining lower than in control subjects regardless of both recovery of SR and freedom from recurrent AF (P=0.006 and P=0.002, respectively). Conclusions: Patients with lone AF have impaired myocardial energetics and subtle LV dysfunction, which do not normalize after ablation. These findings suggest that AF may be the consequence (rather than the cause) of an occult cardiomyopathy, which persists despite a significant reduction in AF burden after ablation