Abstract: Background: The Rotapro study was conducted to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the new Rotapro rotational atherectomy system (RAS) for lesion preparation in calcified coronary artery stenosis. Methods: Between 2015 and 2019 consecutive patients undergoing rotational atherectomy (RA) with the new Rotapro system and the conventional rotablator (Rotablator) were included from the Bad Krozingen Rotablation Registry. The primary endpoint was the incidence of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral event rate (MACCE). Results: Rotablation was performed in 3.6% of all patients (n = 597) treated by percutaneous coronary intervention. Procedural outcomes were compared according to the applied RAS (n = 246 Rotapro vs. n = 351 Rotablator). Overall technical success was achieved in 98.3% of patients. The primary endpoint of in-hospital MACCE was comparable between the Rotapro- and the Rotablator-group (3.7% vs. 5.7%, respectively, p = 0.254). The Rotapro group was associated with significant reductions of fluoroscopy time (30 vs. 38 min, p 0.0001), procedural time (82.5 vs. 96 min, p = 0.0003), applied contrast volume (210 vs. 290 mL, p 0.0001) and radiation dose (6129 vs. 9827 cGy*cm2, p 0.0001) compared to the Rotablator group.

Abstract: Recent data suggest that uric acid (UA) might be an independent predictor of clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The predictive value of uric acid in patients undergoing PCI for chronic total occlusions (CTO) is unknown. We included patients with CTO who underwent PCI at our center in 2005 and 2012, with available uric acid levels before angiography. Subjects were divided into groups according to uric acid tertiles (5.5 mg/dL, 5.6-6.9 mg/dL, and 7.0 mg/dL), and outcomes were compared among the groups. Out of the 1963 patients (mean age 65.2 ± 11 years), 34.7% (n = 682) had uric acid concentrations in the first tertile, 34.3% (n = 673) in the second tertile, and 31% (n = 608) in the third tertile. Median follow-up was 3.0 years. Uric acid levels in the first tertile were associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality, as compared to the third tertile, with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 0.67 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49 to 0.92; p = 0.012). No significant differences regarding all-cause mortality were found between patients in the first and second tertiles (HR: 0.96 [95% CI: 0.71 to 1.3; p = 0.78]). High levels of uric acid emerged as an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with chronic total occlusion treated with PCI. Hence, uric acid levels should be incorporated into the risk assessment of patients with CTO

Abstract: Background: The aim of this study was to describe the mechanism of subintimal shift (SIS), standardise diagnostic criteria and sensitise the interventional community to this phenomenon. The treatment of chronic total occlusions (CTO) by means of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is complicated by bifurcation lesions involved in the CTO segment or adjacent to it. Extraplaque expansion of intracoronary devices during CTO PCI may extend the dissection plane over the bifurcation with the consequential side or main branch compression by an intimo-medial flap. This phenomenon is hereby described for the first time and named subintimal shift. Methods: Experienced CTO operators from 3 international high volume centers for CTO PCI retrospectively searched their personal records for paradigmatic cases of SIS, summarising key features and proposing diagnostic criteria. Results: The series comprised 7 demonstrative cases, illustrating SIS by intravascular imaging (2 cases) or indirect angiographic signs during CTO PCI (5 cases). Five cases were triggered by stent expansion, 1 by balloon inflation and 1 case was aborted after angiographic warning signs. In 4 cases, SIS resulted in total occlusion of a branch, refractory to ballooning whenever attempted. Four cases required bailout intervention and in 2 cases the branch was left occluded, resulting in a rise of cardiac markers. Conclusions: Subintimal shift is a noteworthy complication in CTO bifurcations, potentially resulting in occlusion of the relevant side or even the main branch. Intracoronary imaging prior to stenting is recommended to understand the tissue planes. Some counterintuitive peculiarities of this phenomenon, like its refractoriness to ballooning, must be known by CTO operators for its efficient resolution

Abstract: Present research on the influence of gender on the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is inconsistent. Sex differences in the presentation of CAD and the success after treatment have been described. We intend to compare the male and female sex in the procedure and the long-term outcome of Rotational Atherectomy (RA). A total of 597 consecutive patients (20.3% female and 79.7% male, mean age 75.3 ± 8.9 years vs. 72.7 ± 9 years, p