This year marks the 9th year of existence of Cardiovascular Revascularization Medicine (CRM). The journal was initially launched with the intention to highlight a new therapy for the prevention of restenosis—vascular brachytherapy. As the technology progressed and drug-eluting stents (DES) were found to significantly reduce restenosis rates, the need for brachytherapy was also significantly reduced. We have progressively expanded CRM's scope of coverage to include an array of new technologies, including molecular interventions.
Drug-eluting stents were highly scrutinized this year, especially with regard to late stent thrombosis. The impact was great—use of DES in the United States fell from 90% to 63%. Nevertheless, the latest data published in the literature, including CRM, supports the notion that DES do not increase death or myocardial infarction and, thus, should not prohibit broader DES use. We anticipate the latest data will help boost DES use in clinical practice and prove 2008 as a very interesting year in interventional cardiology. Two new DES, Endeavor and Xience, are slated for marketing approval in the United States; thus, we are seeking submissions that compare these 2 new systems with those currently in use, Cypher and Taxus.
In this issue, you will find two engaging submissions on DES. First, Kawaguchi et al. examine the impact of calcified lesions on the clinical and angiographic outcome after implantation of a sirolimus-eluting stent. Then, Pinto Slottow et al. compare outcomes among patients presenting with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction who received DES with those who received bare metal stents. Additional clinical original simple-articles include that from Danenberg et al. in which they conclude that occlusion of the coronary sinus and aspiration of contrast media is safe and effective in reducing contrast load during coronary interventions. Kabbani et al. then report their method of percutaneous treatment of coronary fistulas using microcoils/hydrocoils. A submission by Karapandzic et al. aims to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of preoperative cardioprotection by coronary artery revascularization in abdominal nonvascular surgery.
In our sole biology submission, Lindstedt et al. present a study designed to elucidate the effect of different topical negative pressure levels between −50 and −150 mmHg on microvascular flow in normal and ischemic myocardium in a porcine model. In their review simple-article, Movahed et al. comprehensively discuss the pathogenesis and treatment of no reflow in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention and summarize current treatment options.
Also included are four interesting case reports. The first, by Yan et al., discusses a case of inferior vena cava filter thrombosis with associated vena caval obstruction successfully treated with catheter-directed thrombolysis and adjunctive mechanical thrombectomy. Seto et al. then present the case of a 47-year-old gentleman who developed sudden onset heart failure due to a ruptured non-coronary sinus of valsalva fistula to the right atrium. In their submission, Lindsey et al. describe a patient with severe pulmonary hypertension who presented with severe angina and non-ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction due to extrinsic compression of the left main coronary artery from a dilated pulmonary artery. Härle et al. present the case of a 44-year-old female with a history of smoking who presented after sudden onset of severe chest pain with persistent angina and ST-elevations in the inferior leads. Our image of the issue, submitted by Rigatelli et al., depicts three-dimensional rotational angiography images of a 70-year-old gentleman with common iliac artery aneurysms.
Our readers may have noticed an expanded editorial board. Faculty members from our Cardiovascular Revascularization Therapies (CRT) meeting are now included; thus, submissions will now have expanded visibility among key opinion leaders in the field.
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