BACKGROUND: Patients at high risk for bleeding who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) often receive bare-metal stents followed by 1 month of dual antiplatelet therapy. We studied a polymer-free and carrier-free drug-coated stent that transfers umirolimus (also known as biolimus A9), a highly lipophilic sirolimus analogue, into the vessel wall over a period of 1 month. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind trial, we compared the drug-coated stent with a very similar bare-metal stent in patients with a high risk of bleeding who underwent PCI. All patients received 1 month of dual antiplatelet therapy. The primary safety end point, tested for both noninferiority and superiority, was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or stent thrombosis. The primary efficacy end point was clinically driven target-lesion revascularization. RESULTS: We enrolled 2466 patients. At 390 days, the primary safety end point had occurred in 112 patients (9.4%) in the drug-coated-stent group and in 154 patients (12.9%) in the bare-metal-stent group (risk difference, -3.6 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -6.1 to -1.0; hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.91; P<0.001 for noninferiority and P=0.005 for superiority). During the same time period, clinically driven target-lesion revascularization was needed in 59 patients (5.1%) in the drug-coated-stent group and in 113 patients (9.8%) in the baremetal-stent group (risk difference, -4.8 percentage points; 95% CI, -6.9 to -2.6; hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.69; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients at high risk for bleeding who underwent PCI, a polymer-free umirolimus-coated stent was superior to a bare-metal stent with respect to the primary safety and efficacy end points when used with a 1-month course of dual antiplatelet therapy. (Funded by Biosensors Europe; LEADERS FREE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01623180.).

The interest in rotational atherectomy (RA) has increased over the past decade as a consequence of more complex and calcified coronary stenoses being attempted with percutaneous coronary interventions. Yet adoption of RA is hampered by several factors: amongst others, by the lack of a standardised protocol. This European expert consensus document stems from the awareness of the large heterogeneity in the protocols adopted to perform rotational atherectomy. The objective of the present document is to provide some points of consensus among highly experienced operators on the most controversial steps of RA in an attempt to build the basis of a standardised and universally accepted protocol.

AimThe aim of this study was to establish safety and efficacy of a new sirolimus-eluting stent with bioresorbable polymer, Ultimaster (BP-SES). Sirolimus-eluting stent with bioresorbable polymer was compared with everolimus-eluting, permanent polymer, Xience stent (PP-EES) in the frame of a CENTURY II clinical trial designed to make global clinical data compliant with regulatory requirements in Europe and Japan.Methods and resultsThe CENTURY II is a prospective, multicentre, randomized (1 : 1), single blind, controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial conducted at 58 study sites in Japan, Europe, and Korea. A total of 1123 patients requiring a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure, with implantation of drug-eluting stent (DES), were enrolled [total population (TP)]. Randomization of patients was stratified for the subset of patients matching requirements for DES in Japan (Cohort JR, n = 722). Baseline patient demographic and angiographic characteristics were similar in both study arms, with minimal differences between the TP and Cohort JR. The primary endpoint, freedom from target lesion failure (TLF) at 9 months—TLF [composite of cardiac death, target-vessel-related myocardial infarction (MI) and target lesion revascularization]—was 95.6% with BP-SES and 95.1% with PP-EES (Pnon-inferiority<0.0001). Composite of cardiac death and MI rate was 2.9 and 3.8% (P = 0.40) and target vessel revascularization was 4.5% with BP-SES and 4.2% with PP-EES (P = 0.77). The stent thrombosis rate was 0.9% in both arms. In Cohort JR, freedom from TLF was 95.9 and 94.6% (Pnon-inferiority < 0.0005) with BP-SES and PP-EES, respectively.ConclusionThe new bioresorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent showed safety and efficacy profiles similar to durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent at 9-month follow-up.Study registration numberUMIN000006940.

The overall meaning of RBBB in acute myocardial infarction has not changed in the thrombolytic era, although a higher rate of new and transient RBBB and a lower rate of bifascicular block may represent a beneficial effect of thrombolytic therapy.

Percutaneous closure of PVL can be performed with a reasonable rate of procedural success and a low rate of major complications. The type of device used, the accumulated experience and the leak size are predictors of procedural success.