Aims The antiplatelet treatment strategy providing optimal balance between thrombotic and bleeding risks in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is unclear. We prospectively compared the efficacy of ticagrelor and aspirin after CABG. Methods and results We randomly assigned in double-blind fashion patients scheduled for CABG to either ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily or 100 mg aspirin (1:1) once daily. The primary outcome was the composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), repeat revascularization, and stroke 12 months after CABG. The main safety endpoint was based on the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium classification, defined as BARC ≥4 for periprocedural and hospital stay-related bleedings and BARC ≥3 for post-discharge bleedings. The study was prematurely halted after recruitment of 1859 out of 3850 planned patients. Twelve months after CABG, the primary endpoint occurred in 86 out of 931 patients (9.7%) in the ticagrelor group and in 73 out of 928 patients (8.2%) in the aspirin group [hazard ratio 1.19; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87–1.62; P = 0.28]. All-cause mortality (ticagrelor 2.5% vs. aspirin 2.6%, hazard ratio 0.96, CI 0.53–1.72; P = 0.89), cardiovascular death (ticagrelor 1.2% vs. aspirin 1.4%, hazard ratio 0.85, CI 0.38–1.89; P = 0.68), MI (ticagrelor 2.1% vs. aspirin 3.4%, hazard ratio 0.63, CI 0.36–1.12, P = 0.12), and stroke (ticagrelor 3.1% vs. 2.6%, hazard ratio 1.21, CI 0.70–2.08; P = 0.49), showed no significant difference between the ticagrelor and aspirin group. The main safety endpoint was also not significantly different (ticagrelor 3.7% vs. aspirin 3.2%, hazard ratio 1.17, CI 0.71–1.92; P = 0.53). Conclusion In this prematurely terminated and thus underpowered randomized trial of ticagrelor vs. aspirin in patients after CABG no significant differences in major cardiovascular events or major bleeding could be demonstrated. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01755520.

We report a case of a 75-year-old male patient with an asymptomatic aneurysm of an aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA). Timely elective therapy of this entity is indicated due to the high risk of rupture. Because of the patient's reduced physical state, we performed an interdisciplinary endovascular aortic stent-grafting for the exclusion of the ARSA aneurysm. However, the proximal landing zone for the thoracic stent had to be chosen proximal to the origin of the left subclavian artery. Thus, 2 days before the endovascular procedure, a left-sided carotido-subclavian bypass was accomplished. The peri- and postoperative course was uneventful. The technical results in our patient were excellent, no leakage was visible so far.

Percutaneous resection of heart valves is emerging as a promising auxiliary method for the resection of calcified aortic heart valves because they can be cut endoscopically. Nonetheless, before this resection tool can be clinically applied by surgeons to perform a true percutaneous valve replacement, an additional aortic valve resection chamber (already at the prototype stage) designed for capturing all debris, has to be established.

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BackgroundThe optimal timing of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in clinically stable patients with acute myocardial infarction who are unsuitable for percutaneous coronary intervention is unclear. We report our experience with early CABG in these patients.Methods and ResultsBetween January 2001 and May 2015, 766 patients with ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI, n=305) or non‐STEMI (NSTEMI, n=461) not including cardiogenic shock underwent CABG within 48 hours at our department. STEMI patients were younger than non‐STEMI patients (age 65 years [range: 58–72] versus 70 years [range: 62–75], P<0.001) with a lower EuroSCORE II (4.12 [range: 2.75–5.81] versus 4.58 [range: 2.80–7.74], P=0.009). STEMI patients had undergone preoperative percutaneous coronary intervention more often (20.3% versus 7.8%, P<0.001). Time to surgery was shorter in STEMI compared with non‐STEMI patients (5.0 hours [range: 3.2–8.8] versus 11.7 hours [range: 6.4–22.0], P<0.001). No significant differences concerning arterial graft use (93.8% versus 94.8%, P=0.540) or complete revascularization (87.5% versus 83.4%, P=0.121) were observed. The rate of strokes did not differ between the groups (2.0% versus 3.9%, P=0.134). Thirty‐day mortality was lower in STEMI patients (2.7% versus 6.6% P=0.018), especially when CABG was performed within 6 hours (1.8% versus 7.1%, P=0.041). Survival of STEMI and non‐STEMI patients was 94% versus 88% after 1 year (P<0.001), 87% versus 73% after 5 years (P<0.001), and 74% versus 57% after 10 years (P<0.001). Independent predictors of 30‐day and long‐term mortality included preoperatively increased lactate values, age, atrial fibrillation, and reduced left ventricular function.ConclusionsStable STEMI patients showed a lower rate of perioperative complications and better survival compared with non‐STEMI patients when CABG was performed within 48 hours.

This study demonstrates the feasibility of endovascular resection of human aortic valves in situ. This is a subsequent step toward complete percutaneous replacement (resection and implantation) of human aortic valves.

In conclusion, intramyocardial injection of naked plasmid DNA encoding VEGF(121) or FGF-2 improved myocardial function in chronic ischemia in more aspects than vector only and was superior to untreated ischemia or MCP-1. This strategy can be considered a successful tool for growth factor stimulated preservation of function in chronic myocardial ischemia.

Pre-operative AF proved to be the most important factor determining the 5-year outcome of patients with a prolonged ICU stay after cardiac surgery. Neither physical nor mental health appeared to be impaired in these patients.