Devido à sua alta taxa de mortalidade as doenças cardiovasculares vem sendo foco de pesquisas nos últimos anos. Estima-se que neste grupo, 42% das mortes foram consequência de doença coronariana (CHD) em 2012. Para auxiliar o acompanhamento de pacientes com CHD, este estudo teve como objetivo investigar um método simples e robusto que segmenta de maneira semi-automática a área da neoíntima em Tomografias Intravasculares por Coerência Óptica no Domínio da Frequência (FD-IOCT), a mais recente técnica de imagear vasos internamente. O método foi dividido em duas etapas. A primeira segmenta a área contida pelo lúmen através de operações morfológicas com valores de intensidade e aplicação da limiarização Otsu. Na segunda, o foco foi segmentar a área contida por partes de stent onde duas estratégias foram desenvolvidas e comparadas. Ambas as etapas (segmentação de área de lúmen e de stent) obtiveram resultados acurados com aproximadamente 98% de Verdadeiro Positivo, enquanto o Falso Positivo foi próximo de 3% para o lúmen e 5% para stent, onde uma das estratégias (para delimitar a área contida por stent) apresentou um tempo de execução 50 vezes maior que a outra. O método foi utilizado em 443 imagens com diferentes características e os resultados são encorajadores. / Due to its high mortality rate cardiovascular diseases have been the focus of research in recent years. It is estimated that among these, 42% of deaths were due to coronary heart disease (CHD) in 2012. To monitor patients with CHD, the goal of this study was to investigate a simple and robust method that segments semi-automatically the neointimal area on Frequency Domain Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography (FD-IOCT), the latest technology to view vessels internally. The method was divided into two steps. The first one segments the area contained by the lumen through morphological operations on intensity values and the Otsu threshold. In the second one, the focus was to segment the area contained by stent struts where two strategies were developed and compared. Both steps (lumen and stent strut area segmentation) obtained accurate results with true positives approximately 98%, while the false positives were close to 3% for the lumen and 5% for the stent, where one strategy (to delimit the area contained by stent struts) showed run time of 50 times the other. The method was executed on 443 images with different characteristics and the results are encouraging.

Introdução: Embora a intervenção coronária percutânea esteja associada a baixos índices de complicações, o infarto do miocárdio periprocedimento tem sido apontado como um fator negativo nos resultados clínicos. Os ensaios clínicos randomizados e as revisões sistemáticas recentes confirmaram que uma alta dose de estatina antes da intervenção coronária percutânea eletiva reduz o risco para a ocorrência do infarto do miocárdio periprocedimento. Objetivos: O objetivo desta pesquisa foi aferir a eficácia da pré-administração de uma dose de ataque de rosuvastatina na redução do infarto do miocárdio periprocedimento em pacientes submetidos à intervenção coronária percutânea eletiva com stent coronário. Métodos: De março de 2011 a dezembro de 2013, um total de 528 pacientes portadores de doença coronária estável em uso de estatina (há mais de 7 dias), submetidos à intervenção coronária percutânea eletiva em artéria coronária nativa (e lesão não reestenótica) foram randomizados prospectivamente em único centro, para receberem dose única de ataque de rosuvastatina (40 mg via oral, 2 a 6 horas prévio ao procedimento; grupo rosuvastatina; n=264) versus tratamento padrão (ausência da administração de rosuvastatina; grupo controle; n=264). O objetivo primário foi analisar a incidência intra-hospitalar de infarto do miocárdio periprocedimento (elevação da fração miocárdica da creatina-quinase massa maior que 3 vezes o limite superior do normal). Os objetivos secundários foram analisar a incidência da elevação da fração miocárdica da creatina-quinase massa acima de 1 vez o limite superior do normal e a incidência de eventos adversos graves como infarto agudo do miocárdio com supra desnível do segmento ST, revascularização emergencial do vaso-alvo (percutânea ou cirúrgica) e óbito intra-hospitalar. Resultados: O desfecho primário ocorreu em 7,6% dos pacientes tratados com rosuvastatina e em 4,8% no grupo controle (p = 0,200); ao consideramos o desfecho secundário (elevação da fração miocárdica da creatina-quinase maior que uma vez o limite superior do normal), verificamos que o grupo rosuvastatina apresentou mais desfechos quando comparado ao grupo controle (26,2% vs 18,4%, p = 0,039). Não houve diferença nos eventos adversos graves intra-hospitalar sendo 0% no grupo da rosuvastatina e 0,8% no controle devido a infarto agudo do miocárdio com supradesnível do segmento ST. Conclusões: Esta pesquisa sugere que a administração de dose de ataque de rosuvastatina prévio à intervenção coronária percutânea eletiva, em pacientes com doença coronária estável e em uso de estatina, aumenta a chance de elevação da fração miocárdica da creatina-quinase massa. Este efeito não foi significante para o desfecho primário (infarto do miocárdio periprocedimento) que foi pouco frequente neste estudo, mas foi significante para o desfecho secundário (elevação da creatina-quinase massa acima de 1 vez o limite superior do normal). As taxas de eventos clínicos adversos graves intra-hospitalar não foram afetadas pelo tratamento. / of complications, periprocedural myocardial infarction has been appointed as a negative factor in clinical outcomes. Randomized clinical trials and recent systematic reviews have confirmed that a high dose of statin before elective percutaneous coronary intervention reduces the risk of periprocedural myocardial infarction. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of a loading dose of rosuvastatin pre-administration in reducing periprocedural myocardial infarction, in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention with stable coronary artery disease on statin use for more than 7 days. Methods: From March 2011 to December 2013, a total of 528 patients with stable coronary artery disease on statin use (more than 7 days) who underwent elective percutaneous coronary intervention in native artery (and non restenosis lesion) were prospectively randomized in a single center to receive either a pre-procedural loading dose of Rosuvastatin (40 mg oral, 2 to 6 hours prior to the procedure; rosuvastatin group, n=264) or standard treatment (without administration of rosuvastatin; control group, n = 264). The primary endpoint was in-hospital stay incidence of periprocedural myocardial infarction (creatine kinase-myocardial band elevation greater than the three times the upper limit of normal). The secondary end points were in hospital stay incidence of creatine kinase-myocardial band elevation greater than once the upper limit of normal and the incidence of major adverse events as acute myocardial infarction with ST segment elevation, emergency target vessel revascularization (percutaneous or surgical) and death. Results: The primary end point occurred in 7.6% of patients treated with rosuvastatin loading dose and in 4.8% in the control group (p = 0.200); there was a higher incidence in elevation of post-procedural creatine kinase-myocardial band greater than once the upper limit of normal in the rosuvastatin group (26.2% vs 18.4%, p = 0.039). There were no differences in the rate of major adverse events with 0% in the rosuvastatin group and 0.8% in control driven by acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation in hospital stay. Conclusions: This study suggest that loading dose of rosuvastatin prior to elective percutaneous coronary intervention, in patients with stable coronary disease on prior statin use increases the chance of creatine kinase-myocardial band elevation. This effect was not significant for the primary outcome (periprocedural myocardial infarction) that was uncommon in this study, but was significant for the secondary outcome (creatine-kinase elevation once the upper limit of normal). The rates of major adverse major events were not affected by treatment during hospital stay.

Cette thèse porte sur la segmentation et la caractérisation des artères coronaires et des endoprothèses (stent) en imagerie de Tomographie par Cohérence Optique (OCT). L’OCT est une imagerie de très haute résolution qui permet d’apprécier des structures fines comme la couche intimale de la paroi vasculaire et les mailles du stent (struts). L’objectif de cette thèse est de proposer des outils logiciels autorisant l’analyse automatique d’un examen avec un temps d’exécution compatible avec une utilisation peropératoire. Ces travaux font suite à la thèse de Dubuisson en OCT, qui avait proposé un premier formalisme pour la segmentation de la lumière et la détection des struts pour les stents métalliques. Nous avons revisité la chaine de traitement pour ces deux problèmes et proposé une méthode préliminaire de détection de stents en polymère biorésorbable. Une modélisation surfacique du stent a permis d’estimer une série d’indices cliniques à partir des diamètres, surfaces et volumes mesurés sur chaque coupe ou sur l’ensemble de l’examen. L’apposition du stent par rapport à la paroi est également mesurée et visualisée en 3D avec une échelle de couleurs intuitive. La lumière artérielle est délimitée à l’aide d’un algorithme de recherche de plus court chemin de type Fast Marching. Son originalité est d’exploiter l’image sous la forme hélicoïdale native de l’acquisition. Pour la détection du stent métallique, les maxima locaux de l’image suivis d’une zone d’ombre ont été détectés et caractérisés par un vecteur d’attributs calculés dans leur voisinage (valeur relative du maximum, pente en niveau de gris, symétrie...). Les pics correspondant à des struts ont été discriminés du speckle environnant par une étape de régression logistique avec un apprentissage à partir d’une vérité terrain construite par un expert. Une probabilité d’appartenance des pics aux struts est construite à partir de la combinaison des attributs obtenue. L’originalité de la méthode réside en la fusion des probabilités des éléments proches avant d’appliquer un critère de décision lui aussi déterminé à partir de la vérité terrain. La méthode a été évaluée sur une base de données de 14 examens complets, à la fois au niveau des pixels et des struts détectés. Nous avons également validé de façon exhaustive une méthode de recalage non rigide d’images OCT exploitant des amers appariés par un expert sur les examens source et cible. L’objectif de ce recalage est de pouvoir comparer les examens coupe à coupe et les indices calculés aux mêmes positions à des temps d’acquisition différents. La fiabilité du modèle de déformation a été évaluée sur un corpus de quarante-quatre paires d’examens OCT à partir d’une technique de validation croisée par Leave-One-Out. / This thesis deals with the segmentation and characterization of coronary arteries and stents in Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging. OCT is a very high resolution imaging that can appreciate fine structures such as the intimal layer of the vascular wall and stitches (struts). The objective of this thesis is to propose software tools allowing the automatic analysis of an examination with a runtime compatible with an intraoperative use. This work follows Dubuisson's thesis in OCT, which proposed a first formalism for light segmentation and strut detection for metal stents. We revisited the treatment chain for these two problems and proposed a preliminary method for detecting bioabsorbable polymer stents. Surface modeling of the stent made it possible to estimate a series of clinical indices from the diameters, surfaces and volumes measured on each section or on the entire examination. Applying the stent to the wall is also measured and visualized in 3D with an intuitive color scale. The arterial lumen is delineated using a Fast Marching short path search algorithm. Its originality is to exploit the image in the native helical form of the acquisition. For the detection of the metallic stent, the local maxima of the image followed by a shadow zone have been detected and characterized by a vector of attributes calculated in their neighborhood (relative value of the maximum, slope in gray level, symmetry ...). Peaks corresponding to struts were discriminated from the surrounding speckle by a logistic regression step with learning from a field truth constructed by an expert. A probability of belonging to the peaks to struts is constructed from the combination of attributes obtained. The originality of the method lies in the fusion of the probabilities of the close elements before applying a decision criterion also determined from the ground truth. The method was evaluated on a database of 14 complete examinations, both at the level of pixels and struts detected. We have also extensively validated a method of non-rigid registration of OCT images using bitters matched by an expert on the source and target exams. The objective of this registration is to be able to compare cut-to-cut examinations and indices calculated at the same positions at different acquisition times. The reliability of the strain model was evaluated on a corpus of forty-four pairs of OCT exams from a Leave-One-Out cross validation technique.

Introdução: Nas últimas décadas, a reestenose tem sido o \"calcanhar de Aquiles\" da intervenção coronária percutânea (ICP), limitando seus resultados no médio e longo prazo. Estudos preliminares demonstraram que após a injúria inicial com catéter balão e/ou com stents coronarianos, há desnudação endotelial, dissecção, deposição plaquetária e atração de leucócitos como resposta imediata, podendo levar à reestenose no seguimento mais tardio. A injúria local na parede arterial após implante de stent pode promover a expressão genética e liberação de mediadores inflamatórios, interleucinas, proteínas de fase aguda e fatores de coagulação, deposição de plaquetas e formação de trombos. Estes processos podem estar diretamente relacionados ao prognóstico da doença cardiovascular, porém são escassos os estudos que caracterizem a resposta inflamatória aguda pós-implante de stent coronariano e à ocorrência de eventos adversos. Objetivos: Neste estudo, pretendeu-se avaliar os efeitos de dose de ataque de Rosuvastatina (40mg) sobre a resposta inflamatória aguda após implante de stent coronariano, bem como correlacionar as variações das concentrações de citocinas e a respectiva expressão gênica. Métodos: Pacientes portadores de doença coronária estável sem uso de estatina (há mais de 7 dias), submetidos à intervenção coronária percutânea eletiva em artéria coronária nativa foram randomizados para receberem dose única de ataque de rosuvastatina (40 mg via oral, 3 horas prévias ao procedimento; Grupo Tratado (GT); n=63) versus Grupo Controle (GC) (Ausência da administração de rosuvastatina); n=61. Foram obtidas amostras do sangue periférico antes da administração via oral da medicação (A), 3 horas após medicação (B) e 3 horas após implante do stent coronariano (C). Avaliou-se hemograma completo, dosagem de proteína C reativa (PCR), óxido nítrico (NO) e análise da expressão dos genes e das proteínas, por meio de RT-qPCR e multiplex luminex, dos mediadores IL-1 ?, IL-6, IL-8, PAI-1, MCP- 1, TNF-? e TGF-?. Os pacientes foram acompanhados clinicamente por doze meses após o procedimento. Resultados: Os grupos não apresentaram diferenças significantes em relação às características clínicas, angiográficas e técnicas, com exceção da ICP para lesões em bifurcação, mais comum no GC (19,7% versus 6,2%; p=0,032). Para a expressão gênica, observou-se redução para IL-6 (p<0,001), da IL-1 ? (p=0,016) e PAI-1 (p=0,002) no Grupo Tratado. Para as interleucinas analisadas, observou-se uma diminuição progressiva nas concentrações de IL-6 0,209 pg/ml (IC 0,156;0,28 p<0,001), IL-1? 0,491 pg/ml (IC 0,349;0,692; p<0,001) e PAI-1 0,986 pg/ml com pinteração<0,001) no Grupo Tratado. Houve redução da concentração de PCR no tempo C no GT (p=0,04). Para o NO, ocorreu elevação dos valores do tempo A para C no Grupo Tratado (p=0,004). Na fase intra-hospitalar, ocorreu mais infarto periprocedimento entre os pacientes do Grupo Controle (23% vs 4,7%; p=0,004). No acompanhamento clínico de 12 meses ocorreram mais eventos combinados no Grupo Controle GC (9,8% vs 1,6%; p=0,058). Conclusão: Os resultados deste estudo demonstraram que a rosuvastatina em sua dose de ataque máxima preconizada (40mg), reduz os níveis séricos de marcadores inflamatórios agudos (IL-1 ?, IL-6, PAI-1 e PCR), com incremento dos valores de NO após ICP. / Restenosis remains as the \"Achilles\' heal\" of interventional cardiology, limiting the mid to long term efficacy of percutaneouos coronary interventions (PCI). Preliminary studies have shown that after initial injury with balloon catheter and/or metallic stents, there is endothelial denudation, dissection, platelet deposition and leukocyte attraction as an immediate response, which might limit the late benefits of PCI. Local injury to the arterial wall after stent implantation may promote the gene expression and release of inflammatory mediators, interleukins, acute phase proteins and coagulation factors, platelet deposition and thrombus formation, which are directly related to the prognosis of cardiovascular disease. Despite their importance, there are few studies that characterize the acute inflammatory response after coronary stent implantation and correlate it to the occurrence of adverse events.Objectives: We sougth to evaluate the effects of the loading dose of Rosuvastatin (40mg) on the acute inflammatory response after PCI with mettalic stents, as well as to correlate the variations in cytokine levels and their respective gene expression. Methods: Patients with stable coronary disease without statin (>=7 days) undergoing elective PCI to de novo lesions in the native coronary arterywere randomized to receive a loading dose of 40 mg of rosuvastatin [N = 63] versus a control group (CG) (absence of loading dose); [N = 61]. Blood samples were obtained prior to oral administration of the statin (A), 3 hours after medication (B) and 3 hours after PCI (C). The following laboratory tests were conducted: complete blood count, C-reactive protein (CRP), nitric oxide (NO) and analysis of gene and protein expression by means of RT-qPCR and multiplex luminex, IL-1 mediators, IL-6, IL-8, PAI-1, MCP-1, TNF-? and TGF-?. Clinical follow up was achieved up to 12 months after the procedure. Results: The groups did not significantly differ regarding clinical, angiographic and procedure characteristics, except for the higher amount of bifurcation lesions in the CG (19.7% versus 6.2%, p = 0.032). Among patients pre treated wit the statin, there was a reduction in gene expression for IL-6 (p <0.001), IL-1? (p = 0.016) and PAI-1 (p = 0.002). For the IL analyses, a progressive decrease in the concentrations of IL-6 0.209 pg / ml (IC 0.156; 0.28 p <0.001), IL-1? 0.491 pg / ml (IC 0.349; 0.692, p <0.001) and PAI-1 0.986 pg / ml with paving <0.001) were observed among patients treated with the statin. Furthermore, a progressive reduction in the concentration of CRP was observed in the three timepoints among patients of the rosuvastatin cohort (p = 0.04). An increase in NO concentration was observed from timepoint A to C in the statin group (p = 0.004). During the in hospital period, more periprocedural MI occurred among patients in the control group (23% vs 4.7%, p = 0.004). Also, 12-month MACE rate was higher in the control group (9.8% vs 1.6%, p = 0.058). Conclusion: Pre loading with high dose of rosuvastatin resulted in a marked reduction in the expression of the main inflammatory markers (IL-1 ?, IL-6, PAI-1 and CRP) associated with restenosis after PCI with stents. Additionally, an increase in the NO blood concentration and expression was noticed among these patients.

This research explores the minimizing of cracks in the fabrication of carbon-infiltrated carbon nanotube (CI-CNT) forests on cylindrical rods for the purposes of creating a CI-CNT coronary stent. It is a continuation of the work begun by Jones [1] and Skousen [2] whose work included the creation of a feasible CI-CNT coronary stent on a planar surface. The current research was performed in two parts: 1) growth on the whole circumference of the rod for ~20mm in length and 2) growth in lines and patterns. Experiments were done on either a 309 or 304 stainless steel rod ~3mm in diameter.The following parameters were used for growth on the whole circumference of the rod: a 80nm alumina diffusion barrier, 1.3 or 7nm of iron as a catalyst layer for CNT growth and a growth time of 1 or 15 min. Cracking is observed on most samples. Area fraction of cracking is shown to be minimized with 7nm of iron and and 1 min growth time. The number of cracks was minimized with the 7nm of iron and 15 min growth time. The height of the CI-CNT forest, which is strongly influenced by the thickness of the iron layer and growth time, is shown to be a possible positive contributor to the area fraction of cracking. Level of carbon infiltration and rate of cooling were also included in the parameters of the study as possible contributors to the amount of cracking however no correlation was found to either of these factors. The second study maintained 80nm of alumina and used 7nm of iron and 10 min of growth time. Line angles parallel, at 7°, at 45° and perpendicular to the axis of the rod and line widths from 109µm to 500µm were studied. Line widths from 500µm to 1090µm were also included in the study of patterned lines perpendicular to the axis of the rod. Cracking was eliminated in the parallel and 7° lines. Cracking in the 45° lines was intermittent and significantly less than the cracking seen on the whole circumference. For the lines perpendicular to the axis, the uncracked arc length was calculated to be an average of 414µm with a standard deviation of 67µm. The uncracked arc length showed no correlation to the line width. A final aspect of this second study observed the cracking in a modification of the planar stent pattern created by Jones. The pattern was modified in to allow for patterning on the rod. The critical dimension maximums of the parent pattern were maintained. The experimental results showed that a continual CI-CNT forest could be fabricated to the minimum expected height of 150µm, a maximum width of 542µm and at the expected angle of 7° with minimal to no cracking.

An intracranial aneurysm is a local dilation of an artery in the cerebral circulation. While the etiology of intracranial aneurysms is unknown, they likely result from a combination of factors including the weakening and degeneration of the collagen fibers and the internal elastic lamina comprising the arterial wall, as well as hemodynamic-associated stress resulting from blood pulsation inside the aneurysm sac. Intracranial aneurysm rupture leads to a devastating sequela, as 50% of patients die. In the U.S. alone there are approximately 30,000 cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage annually, a prevalence which has pushed practitioners to aggressively treat the aneurysm disease. Traditionally, intracranial aneurysms were managed with open craniotomy and microsurgical clipping; however, these treatment modalities carry relatively high morbidity and mortality depending upon the aneurysm location and surgical experience. In 2002 the International Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Aneurysm Trial established the superiority of the endovascular coiling of intracranial aneurysms compared to microsurgical clipping. This trial led to a paradigm shift in treating intracranial aneurysms with marked use of intracranial stenting, including devices used to assist endovascular coiling and stand-alone flow diverting devices. However, the placement of intracranial devices in the cerebral circulation mandates the adjunctive application of dual anti-platelet pharmaceuticals to minimize thromboembolic events, despite being associated with increased patient risk. This dissertation proposes a novel multilayer, nanometer-scale coating technology suitable for commercially available intracranial stents and flow diverting devices to minimize the use of dual anti-platelet therapy in the elective setting and expand the use of intracranial devices in the acute setting of ruptured intracranial aneurysms. A combination of qualitative and quantitative chemical characterization techniques was used to assess the composition, uniformity, and thickness of each coating layer on commercially available flow diverting devices; overall the coating was found to be relatively uniform and conformal to the device wires. Furthermore, in-vitro and in-vivo testing on commercially available intracranial devices suggest some hemocompatible and antithrombotic properties. Finally, the proposed coating technology can be modified for use as a platform for the attachment of FDA-approved molecules. With further optimization and testing this technology has the potential to minimize the adjunctive use of dual-antiplatelet therapy in the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

Der Vergleich der Verfahren Karotisstenting und Karotis-TEA an der Universitätsklinik Würzburg zeigt, dass bei richtiger Indikationsstellung sowie ausreichender Erfahrung der Neuroradiologen, CAS eine ernstzunehmende Alternative zu CEA darstellt. Besonderes Augenmerk lag dabei auf periprozeduale Komplikationen sowie Langzeitergebnisse bezüglich Tod,Insult und Restenose. / Comparing carotid artery stenting and endarterectomy at the university of Würzburg, we showed that CAS is a serious alternative to CEA if the right indication is given and when interventionalists have enough experience. Our endpoints were periprocedual complications and long-term outcomes regarding stroke, death and recurrent stenosis.

Konsekutive Untersuchung bei therapiebedürftiger ungeschützer linker Hauptstammstenose. Vergleich Bypass-Operation versus interventioneller Versorgung (PCI) des linken Hauptstamms mit beschichteten Stents unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Lebensalters und der Lebensqualität. Einschluss von 300 Patienten (95 PCI, 205 OP) im Zeitraum April 2004 - Dezember 2007. Vergleich von Patienten älter und jünger als 75 Jahre. Einschlusskriterien: ungeschütze Hauptstammstenose > 50%, Angina pectoris CCS II-III, Lebenserwartung > 1 Jahr, Notwendigkeit der Versorgung. Ausschlusskriterien: intakter Bypass auf linke Kranzarterie, Notwendigkeit der kombinierten Bypass- und Klappenoperation, ST-Hebungsinfarkt, klinische Instabilität. PCI mit beschichteten Stents (Sirolimus, Tacrolimus). Bypassoperation mit Herzlungenmaschine und am schlagenden Herzen. Primäre Endpunkte: Tod kardial und nicht kardial, Apoplex, Myokardinfarkt, Revaskularisation der Zielläsion (TLR). Sekundärer Endpunkt: Lebensqualität nach 6 Monaten. Höherer Euroscore und Parosnnet-Score in Gruppe > 75 Jahre. 100 % Erfolgrate bei der Indexprozedur (OP oder PCI). 12-Monats-Ergebisse: Keine Unterschiede Tod oder Myokardinfarkt. Nicht signifikante Erhöhung von Apoplexen in OP-Gruppe (6% versus 1 %). Signifikant höhere TLR-Rate in PCI-Gruppe (10,5% versus 1,5%). Ältere Patienten hatten in beiden Armen eine reduzierte körperliche Lebensqualität, sonst keine Unterschiede in beiden Altersgruppen und Therapiearmen. Die PCI des linken Hauptstamms ist eine Alternative bei sorgfältig selektierten Patienten, insbesondere älteren Patienten mit Komorbititäten. / Consecutive analysis of patients with unprotected left main stenosis in need of treatment either with coronary bypass graft or coronary intervention with drug eluting stents taking into consideration the age of the patients and their quality of life. We included 300 patients (95 PCI, 205 OP) from April 2004 - December 2007. Comparison of patients under 75 and over 75 years. Inclusion criteria: unprotected left main stenosis > 50%, angina pectoris CCS II-III, life expectation > 1 year, need of treatment. Exclusion criteria: intact bypass graft on left coronary artery, neccessity of combined bypass and valve operation, ST-elevation infarction, clinical instability.PCI with drug eluting stents (Sirolimus, Tacrolimus). Bypass operation with heart-lung machine and off-pump operation. Primary end points: non-cardiac and cardiac death, stroke, myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularisation. Secondary end point: quality of life at 6 months. Higher Euroscore and Parsonett Score in patient group > 75 years. 100 % success with index procedure (CABG or PCI). 12 month results: no difference at death rates or myocardial infarction. No significant increase of stroke in bypass-graft group (6% versus 1%). Significant higher TLR-rate in PCI-group (10.5% versus 1.5%). Older patients suffered from reduced physical heatlth in both therapy groups. No other difference in the two age groups and therapy groups. PCI of unprotected left main is a therapy option in selected patients, especially those with comorbitities.

Cette étude à pour but de développer un concept de stent atraumatique pour le remplacement percutanée de la valve aortique. Le stent est obtenu à partir de brins de Nitinol tressés, ce qui lui permet, de part sa géométrie et sa structure, d'être compressible, auto-expansible, et atraumatique. Le principe de fabrication des prototypes et les contraintes qui lui est associé sont présentées. Les performances de ces prototypes, en terme d'ancrage, de régurgitation statique et de régurgitation dynamique sont ensuite évaluées par des essais in vitro, pour lesquel le banc de test en flux pulsé a été optimisé afin de prendre en considération la compliance de la racine aortique. Les résultats obtenus permettent de mettre en évidence les différents paramètres de fabrication stent, tant au niveau dimensionnel (hauteur du cylindre, angle du cône...) qu'au niveau structurel (rigidité), qui ont une influence significative sur le comportement de l'endoprothèse.

During endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), if the stent-graft device is too long for a given patient the redundant (extra) length adopts a convex configuration in the aneurysm. Based on clinical experience, we hypothesize that redundant stent-graft configurations increase the downward force acting on the device, thereby increasing the risk of device dislodgement and failure. This work numerically studies both steady-state and physiologic pulsatile blood flow in redundant stent-graft configurations. Computational fluid dynamics simulations predicted a peak downward displacement force for the zero-, moderate- and severe-redundancy configurations of 7.36, 7.44 and 7.81 N, respectively for steady-state flow; and 7.35, 7.41 and 7.85 N, respectively for physiologic pulsatile flow. These results suggest that redundant stent-graft configurations in EVAR do increase the downward force acting on the device, but the clinical consequence depends significantly on device-specific resistance to dislodgement.