Efficacy of coronary sinus reducer implantation in patients with chronic total occlusion of the right coronary artery

Background: Clinical efficacy of coronary sinus reducer (CSR) in refractory angina (RA) patients with ischemia due to the chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the right coronary artery (RCA) remains unknown. Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of CSR implantation in RA patients with CTO RCA and compare them to CSR recipients with left coronary artery (LCA) ischemia. Methods: Consecutive patients with CTO RCA from 2 centres were prospectively included and compared to patients with LCA ischemia. All patients underwent evaluation of angina severity and quality of life (QOL) at baseline and after 12 months. In a subgroup of CTO RCA patients stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging was also performed. Results: Twenty-two patients with CTO RCA and predominant inferior and/or inferoseptal wall ischemia (CTO RCA group) were compared to 24 patients with predominant anterior, lateral and/or anteroseptal wall ischemia (LCA group). While Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) angina score mean (SD) improved in CTO RCA group from 2.73 (0.46) to 1.82 (0.73) (P < 0.001) and in LCA group from 2.67 (0.57) to 1.92 (0.72) (P < 0.001), there was no intergroup difference (P = 0.350). Significant improvement in all Seattle Angina Questionnaire domains was observed. Stress CMR did not show significant reduction of ischemic inferior and/or inferoseptal segments, however improvements in transmurality index (P = 0.03) and myocardial perfusion reserve index in segments with inducible ischemia (P = 0.03) were observed in CTO RCA group. Conclusions: In CTO RCA patients CSR implantation alleviated angina symptoms and improved QOL. Extent of improvement was comparable to that observed in patients with LCA ischemia

Effect of Coronary Sinus Reducer Implantation on Aerobic Exercise Capacity in Refractory Angina Patients—A CROSSROAD Study

Coronary sinus reducer (CSR) implantation is a new treatment option for patients with refractory angina pectoris. However, there is no evidence from a randomized trial that would show an improvement in exercise capacity after this treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of CSR treatment on maximal oxygen consumption and compare it to a sham procedure. Twenty-five patients with refractory angina pectoris (Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) class II–IV) were randomized to a CSR implantation (n = 13) or a sham procedure (n = 12). At baseline and after 6 months of follow-up, the patients underwent symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing with an adjusted ramp protocol and assessment of angina pectoris using the CCS scale and Seattle angina pectoris questionnaire (SAQ). In the CSR group, maximal oxygen consumption increased from 15.56 ± 4.05 to 18.4 ± 5.2 mL/kg/min (p = 0.03) but did not change in the sham group (p = 0.53); p for intergroup comparison was 0.03. In contrast, there was no difference in the improvement of the CCS class or SAQ domains. To conclude, in patients with refractory angina and optimized medical therapy, CSR implantation may improve oxygen consumption beyond that of optimal medical therapy

Efficacy of coronary sinus reducer implantation in patients with chronic total occlusion of the right coronary artery

Background: Clinical efficacy of coronary sinus reducer (CSR) in refractory angina (RA) patients with ischemia due to the chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the right coronary artery (RCA) remains unknown. Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of CSR implantation in RA patients with CTO RCA and compare them to CSR recipients with left coronary artery (LCA) ischemia. Methods: Consecutive patients with CTO RCA from 2 centres were prospectively included and compared to patients with LCA ischemia. All patients underwent evaluation of angina severity and quality of life (QOL) at baseline and after 12 months. In a subgroup of CTO RCA patients stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging was also performed. Results: Twenty-two patients with CTO RCA and predominant inferior and/or inferoseptal wall ischemia (CTO RCA group) were compared to 24 patients with predominant anterior, lateral and/or anteroseptal wall ischemia (LCA group). While Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) angina score mean (SD) improved in CTO RCA group from 2.73 (0.46) to 1.82 (0.73) (P &lt; 0.001) and in LCA group from 2.67 (0.57) to 1.92 (0.72) (P &lt; 0.001), there was no intergroup difference (P = 0.350). Significant improvement in all Seattle Angina Questionnaire domains was observed. Stress CMR did not show significant reduction of ischemic inferior and/or inferoseptal segments, however improvements in transmurality index (P = 0.03) and myocardial perfusion reserve index in segments with inducible ischemia (P = 0.03) were observed in CTO RCA group. Conclusions: In CTO RCA patients CSR implantation alleviated angina symptoms and improved QOL. Extent of improvement was comparable to that observed in patients with LCA ischemia