Purpose of Review: This review will outline the current evidence on the anatomical, functional, and physiological tools that may be applied in the evaluation of patients with late recurrent angina after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Furthermore, we discuss management strategies and propose an algorithm to guide decision-making for this complex patient population.Recent Findings: Patients with prior CABG often present with late recurrent angina as a result of bypass graft failure and progression of native coronary artery disease (CAD). These patients are generally older, have a higher prevalence of comorbidities, and more complex atherosclerotic lesion morphology compared to CABG-naïve patients. In addition, guideline recommendations are based on studies in which post-CABG patients have been largely excluded.Summary: Several invasive and non-invasive diagnostic tools are currently available to assess graft patency, the hemodynamic significance of native CAD progression, left ventricular function, and myocardial viability. Such tools, in particular the latest generation coronary computed tomography angiography, are part of a systematic diagnostic work-up to guide optimal repeat revascularization strategy in patients presenting with late recurrent angina after CABG.

We investigated the effect of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on morbidity and mortality following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) including patients on haemodialysis, often excluded from randomised trials. We performed a retrospective post hoc analysis of all patients undergoing TAVI at our centre between 2008 and 2012. 118 consecutive patients underwent TAVI; 63 were considered as having (CKD) and 55 not having (No-CKD) significant pre-existing CKD, (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²). Chronic haemodialysis patients (n = 4) were excluded from acute kidney injury (AKI) analysis. Following TAVI, in CKD and No-CKD patients respectively, AKI occurred in 23.7% and 14.5% (p = 0.455) and renal replacement therapy (RRT) was necessary in 8.5% and 3.6% (relative risk (RR) [95% CI] = 2.33 [0.47-11.5], p = 0.440); 30-day mortality rates were 6.3% and 1.8% (p = 0.370); and 1-year mortality rates were 17.5% and 18.2% (p = 0.919). Patients who developed AKI had a significantly increased risk of 30-day (12.5% vs. 1.1%, p = 0.029) mortality. We found the presence of diabetes (odds ratio (OR) [95% CI] = 4.58 [1.58-13.3], p = 0.005) and elevated baseline serum creatinine (OR [95% CI] = 1.02 [1.00-1.03], p = 0.026) to independently predict AKI to statistical significance by multivariate analysis. TAVI is a safe, acceptable treatment for patients with pre-existing CKD, however caution must be exercised, particularly in patients with pre-existing diabetes mellitus and elevated pre-operative serum creatinine levels as this confers a greater risk of AKI development, which is associated with increased short-term post-operative mortality.

A 75-year-old woman with a Starr-Edwards valve in the mitral position inserted in 1996 for mitral stenosis developed symptomatic severe aortic stenosis in 2011. She was considered not suitable for surgical aortic valve replacement due to general frailty and the high risks of a repeat sternotomy and the decision was made for …

A 53-year-old hypertensive gentleman presented with acute left ventricular (LV) failure. His mother died aged 42 following a spontaneous rupture of the pulmonary artery (PA). A transthoracic echocardiogram found severe LV dilatation (7 cm) and impairment. A computed tomography (CT) angiogram was performed ( Panels A1 – A3 ) to exclude significant coronary disease and demonstrated an aberrant origin of his right coronary artery (RCA) from the main PA (MPA) with an aneurysm in its proximal part. In addition, there was an …