Usefulness of GuideLiner Catheter during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Difficult to Cross Complex Lesions due to Calcification and Tortuosity

Failure of stent delivery during percutaneous coronary intervention is one of the common causes of procedural failure. The GuideLiner catheter is a novel device with rapid exchange characteristic that ease the device delivery in deep vessel. We are reporting four cases on the usefulness of the GuideLiner catheter during percutaneous coronary intervention to enable stenting in complex, calcified, tortuous or distal lesions

Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds for LMCA with double vessel disease under IVUS guidance

An 80-year-old male patient, presented with chest pain. ECG showed ST elevation in leads V2 to V4 and T wave inversion in leads V2-V6. Check angiogram revealed ostial LMCA 70% lesion & mid-LAD 90% lesion and LCX proximal 80% lesion. Predilatation of LMCA lesion was done with 2.0 × 12 mm NC Trek balloon and the LAD lesion with 2.0 × 12 mm and 2.5 × 08 mm (NC Trek balloons). Prestenting IVUS (Intravascular ultrasound) was done with Atlantis SR pro 40 MHz 3.6Fr catheter. IVUS showed the LAD to have a minimal lumen area of 2.6 sq mm with 90% fibrotic plaque and a vessel size of 2.5 mm and the LMCA to have a minimal lumen area of 8.8 sq mm with 70% fibrotic plaque and vessel size of 3.8 mm. Mid-LAD stenting was done with 2.5 × 28 mm Absorb Stent (BVS). Predilatation of LCX lesion was done with 2.5 × 08 mm NC Trek balloon. Then stenting was performed with 3.0 × 28 mm Absorb Stent (BVS). Check angiogram showed edge dissection proximal to the BVS Stent which was covered with 3.0 × 12 mm Xience Xpedtion Stent (DES). Then LMCA Stenting was done with 3.5 × 12 mm Absorb Stent. Post dilatation was done with 4.0 × 08 mm NC Trek balloon. Post Stenting LMCA - LAD IVUS was done. LMCA and LAD Stents were well opposed without any dissection or residual stenosis. TIMI III Flow was achieved in the final results

A randomized placebo-controlled trial with amiodarone for persistent atrial fibrillation in rheumatic mitral stenosis after successful balloon mitral valvuloplasty

Objective: Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained arrhythmia in patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD). This study was conducted to determine the maintenance of sinus rhythm with amiodarone therapy following DC cardioversion (DCCV), early after successful balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV). Methods: Patients were randomized to amiodarone group and placebo group and their baseline characteristics were recorded. DCCV was done 48 h after BMV. After cardioversion, oral amiodarone was started initially 200 mg three times a day for 2 weeks, then 200 mg twice daily for two weeks followed by 200 mg once daily for 12 months. Patients in placebo group received DCCV alone without preloading amiodarone. After DCCV, they were given placebo for 12 months. Results: The 3 months follow-up period was completed by 77 patients (95%). Of them, 31 (77.5%) patients in amiodarone group and 14 (34.1%) in placebo group remained in sinus rhythm (SR). The 12 months follow-up period was completed by 73 patients (90.1%). Of them, 22 (55%) patients in amiodarone group and 7 (17.1%) in placebo group remained in SR. Conclusion: We conclude that amiodarone is more effective than placebo in maintenance of SR at the end of 3 months following successful cardioversion and more patients continued to remain in SR even at the end of 12 months without major serious adverse effects