Recognizing and preventing complications regarding bioresorbable scaffolds during coronary interventions

The evolution of coronary intervention techniques and equipment has led to more sophisticated procedures for the treatment of highly complex lesions.However,as a result,the risk of complications has increased,which are mostly iatrogenic and often include equipment failure.Stent dislodgement warrants vigilance for the early diagnosis and a stepwise management approach is required to either expand or retrieve the lost stent.In the era of bioresorbable scaffolds that are not radiopaque,increased caution is required.Intravascular imaging may assist in detecting the lost scaffold in cases of no visibility fluoroscopically.Adequate lesion preparation is the key to minimizing the possibility of equipment loss;however,in the case that it occurs,commercially available and improvised devices and techniques may be applied.

The impact of frailty on in-hospital complications in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND Acute coronary syndrome(ACS)is linked to a range of in-hospital complications,and age is recognized as risk factor for adverse events.Discrepancies between physiological and chronological age are explained by frailty.However,the relationship between frailty and in-hospital complications is not clear.METHODS Assessment of frailty in patients was carried out using the FRAIL scale.In-hospital complications assessed included,bleeding,infection,arrhythmia,acute kidney injury(AKI),delirium,stroke/transient ischemic attack(TIA),liver injury,hypoglycemia,length of stay in the cardiac care unit(CCU).RESULTS Of the 174 patients,frailty was identified in 39.1%and pre-frailty in 29.9%.Frailty was associated with a higher incidence of all types of bleeding(frail vs.robust:45.5%vs.16.7%,P<0.001)and infection(54.4%vs.11.1%,P<0.001),including pneumonia/lower respiratory tract infections(LRTI)and urinary tract infections(UTI).Incidence of antibiotic therapy(52.9%vs.13.0%,P<0.001),atrial fibrillation(AF)(47.1%vs.9.3%,P<0.001),AKI(57.3%vs.20.4%,P<0.001),delirium(52.9%vs.3.7%,P<0.001),liver injury,were higher in frail patients(17.6%vs.0,P=0.001),whilst their length of stay in the CCU was longer(4 days(2-6.5)vs.2 days(2-3),P<0.001).Infections,pneumonia/LRTI,antibiotic therapy during hospitalization,the incidence of AF and liver injury were more often in patients with pre-frailty compared to the robust group.After adjustment for potential confounders,frailty remained independently associated with an increased risk of infection(OR:3.3[1.6-7.0]),including pneumonia/LRTI(OR:2.5[1.1-5.8])and UTI(OR:4.8[1.8-12.5]).Frail individuals had an increased requirement for antibiotic therapy(OR:3.9[1.9-8.1]),and greater risk of AF(OR:3.5[1.3-9.3]),AKI(OR:2.6[1.2-5.3])delirium(OR:11.7[4.8-28.7]),as well as having to stay longer in the CCU(>3 days)(OR:3.7[1.9-7.3]).CONCLUSIONS Frailty was associated with an increased risk of numerous in-hospital complications in elderly patients who had been hospitalized with ACS.

Predictors of Complications after Sheath Removal Post Transfemoral Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

Background: Complications post percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) are more threatening than it was previously thought so that necessary measures should be taken to minimize those risks. Objective: To identify the risk factors related to patient and procedure which could be used as predictors of complications after sheath removal post PCI. Methods: The study used a prospective non-experimental correlational descriptive. Design: The sample was chosen conveniently from three different hospitals and included 118 patients who were subjected to PCI. Results: Three models were used to predict complications. In the first model, none of the baseline variables were predictive of complications. In the second model, the only type of procedure (diagnostic, stent or balloon) was predictive of complications. In the third model, compression time was found to be a risk factor and a predictor of complications after sheath removal. Conclusion: Nurses and medical professionals are in a vital position to prevent, detect and manage PCI complications at the earliest possible opportunity. It is a must to assess and categorize patients in accordance with their risk level to develop post PCI and post sheath removal complications, in order to plan management strategies to decrease the health costs and the suffering.

Fluid Overload after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery Increases the Incidence of Post-Operative Complications

This study is a prospective trial comparing the incidence of post-operative complications to fluid status in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. One hundred and nine subjects undergoing CABG surgery at the Jewish general hospital were recruited over a 5 months period in the year 2006. All of the patients underwent CABG surgery “on pump”. Post operative fluid overload was measured by weight gain. Using logistic regression with complications (major vs. minor only/none) as an outcome and fluid overload as a covariate, the risk of major complications significantly increases for fluid overload ≥5 kg compared to 1 - 5 kg (p < 0.001), while the risk for ≤1 kg is not significantly different from 1 - 5 kg. Also, the risk of major complications significantly (p = 0.012) increases for days with fluid overload ≥5 days in comparison to ≤1 day.

Risk score for predicting abdominal complications after coronary artery bypass grafting

BACKGROUND Although early abdominal complications after coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG)with cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB)are rare,the associated mortality remains high.AIM To develop a risk score for the prediction of early abdominal complications after CABG with CPB.METHODS This retrospective study was performed in the Federal State Budgetary Establishment“Federal Center of Cardiovascular Surgery”of the Ministry of Health of Russia(the city of Chelyabinsk)and included data of 6586 patients who underwent CABG with CPB during 2011-2017.The risk factors taken for evaluation were compared between patients with early abdominal complications(n=73)and without them(n=6513).We identified the most important risk factors and their influence on the development of early abdominal complications after CABG with CPB.RESULTS Gender and the presence of postinfarction cardiosclerosis,chronic kidney disease,or diabetes in the anamnesis did not affect the occurrence of abdominal complications.The leading risk factors of the early abdominal complications after CABG with CPB were multifocal atherosclerosis,extracorporeal membrane oxygenation,intra-aortic balloon pump,atrial fibrillation,perioperative myocardial infarction,and the need for resternotomy in the postoperative period.The average value of the predicted probability was 0.087±0.015 in patients with early abdominal complications after CABG with CPB and 0.0094±0.0003 in patients without these complications.The percentage of correct classification turned out to be 98.9%.After calculating a score for each of the leading risk factors,we counted a total score for each particular patient.The highest risk was noted in patients with a total score of 7 or more.CONCLUSION The developed score predicts the risk of early abdominal complications after CABG with CPB and makes it possible to stratify patients by risk groups.

Predictive value of SinoSCORE on in-hospital mortality and postoperative complications after coronary artery bypass surgery

Objective To evaluate the performance of the Sino System for Coronary Operative Risk Evaluation (SinoSCORE) on in hospital mortality and postoperative complications in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in a single heart center. Methods From January 2007 to December 2008,clinical information of 201 consecutive patients undergoing isolated CABG in our hospital was collected. The SinoSCORE was used to

Risk of cardiovascular,cardiac and arrhythmic complications in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)has emerged as a public health problem of epidemic proportions worldwide.Accumulating clinical and epidemiological evidence indicates that NAFLD is not only associated with liver-related morbidity and mortality but also with an increased risk of coronary heart disease(CHD),abnormalities of cardiac function and structure(e.g.,left ventricular dysfunction and hypertrophy,and heart failure),valvular heart disease(e.g.,aortic valve sclerosis)and arrhythmias(e.g.,atrial fibrillation).Experimental evidence suggests that NAFLD itself,especially in its more severe forms,exacerbates systemic/hepatic insulin resistance,causes atherogenic dyslipidemia,and releases a variety of pro-inflammatory,pro-coagulant and pro-fibrogenic mediators that may play important roles in the pathophysiology of cardiac and arrhythmic complications.Collectively,these findings suggest that patients with NAFLD may benefit from more intensive surveillance and early treatment interventions to decrease the risk for CHD and other cardiac/arrhythmic complications.The purpose of this clinical review is to summarize the rapidly expanding body of evidence that supports a strong association between NAFLD and cardiovascular,cardiac and arrhythmic complications,to briefly examine the putative biological mechanisms underlying this association,and to discuss some of the current treatment options that may influence both NAFLD and its related cardiac and arrhythmic complications.

Patterns of in-hospital mortality and bleeding complications following PCI for very elderly patients： insights from the Dartmouth Dynamic Registry

Background Very elderly patients （age 〉 85 years） are a rapidly increasing segment of the population. As a group, they experience high rates of in-hospital mortality and bleeding complications following percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI）. However, the relationship between bleeding and mortality in the very elderly is unknown. Methods Retrospective review was performed on 17,378 consecutive PCI procedures from 2000 to 2015 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Incidence of bleeding during the index PCI admission （bleeding requiring transfusion, access site hematoma 〉 5 cm, pseudoaneurysm, and retroperitoneal bleed） and in-hospital mortality were reported for four age groups （〈 65 years, 65-74 years, 75-84 years, and ≥ 85 years）. The mortality of patients who suffered bleeding complications and those who did not was calculated and multivariate analysis was performed for in-hospital mortality. Lastly, known predictors of bleeding were compared between patients age 〈 85 years and age ≥85 years. Results Of 17,378 patients studied, 1019 （5.9%） experienced bleeding and 369 （2.1%） died in-hospital following PCI. Incidence of bleeding and in-hospital mortality increased monotonically with increasing age （mortality： 0.94%, 2.27%, 4.24% and 4.58%; bleeding： 3.96%, 6.62%, 10.68% and 13.99% for ages 〈 65, 65-4, 75-84 and ≥ 85 years, respectively）. On multivariate analysis, bleeding was associated with increased mortality for all age groups except patients age ≥85 years [odds ratio （95% CI）： age 〈 65 years, 3.65 （1.99-6.74）; age 65-74 years, 2.83 （1.62-4.94）; age 75-84 years, 3.86 （2.56-5.82）, age ≥ 85 years 1.39 （0.49-3.95）]. Conclusions Bleeding and mortality following PCI increase with increasing age. For the very elderly, despite high rates of bleeding, bleeding is no longer predictive of in-hospital mortality following PCI.

PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY FOR COMPLICATED CORONARY ARTERY LESIONS

Objective To research the effect of percutaneous transluminalcoronary angioplasty (PTCA) on treating complicated artery lesions.Methods Type B or type C of complicated coronary artery lesionswere confirmed by selective coronary angingraphy in 16 cases with coronaryheart disease.Gruentzig’s method was used in carring out PTCA.Results Fifteen of sixteen and thirty-two of thirty-five parts ofcoronary artery lesions were dilated successfully,the success rate was 93.7%and 88.5%,respectively.In failed four parts of PTCA,three parts werebecause of the guilding wire or the balloon failed to pass the narrow arterythrough,the other one was unable to be performed for the occurrencedsevere arrthymia during the procedure.Four stents were implantend foracute accident.Symptoms of the successful cases were improved ordisappeared after PTCA.Conclusion PTCA is also fit in treating complicated coronary arterylesions and has a better therapeutic effect,but it has more complications andrun more risks relatively.

A Pictorial Review on the Role of 64-Slice HD MDCT in Detecting Post CABG Cardiothoracic Complications

Aims: The aim of this study is to have a pictorial review on the role of 64-slice multi-detector computerized tomography (MDCT) in detecting post coronary artery graft (GABG) cardiothoracic complications. Materials & Methods: During the period from November 2012 to December 2013, a prospective evaluation of 40 patients with suspected post-operative cardiothoracic complications underwent MDCT coronary angiography in our clinical radiology department. Informed consent was obtained from all patients and the study had institutional review board approval. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: There were 35 males and 5 females, their mean age ± (SD) of 57 ± 3.9 years. A total of 60 grafts were available for evaluation. Two patients could not be evaluated due to clip-artifacts and advanced atherosclerotic disease. Eleven patients showed occluded graft (9) at proximal and distal (2) anastomosis. Seven patients showed pericardial effusion and pleural effusion (8). Two patients had chest wall infection with retrosternal extension and associated mediastinal involvement. One patient showed aneurysm at the re-implanted coronary artery after Bentall procedure, another patient had postoperative myocardial infarction, one patient showed dissection of the ascending aorta, one patient pseudoaneurysm of left ventricle, two patients localized pericardial hematoma, two patients pulmonary embolism, and two patients showed pneumonia. All these complications occurred from 1-60 days from surgery. Conclusion: HD MDCT is an easy non-invasive technique which showed to be effective in diagnosis of most postoperative CABG cardiothoracic complications and is gaining more ground in difficult clinical situations.

Comparison of Sternal Wound Complication after Off-Pump CABG between Skeletonized and Pedicled LIMA Harvesting: A Single Centre Experience in Bangladesh

Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) is a surgical procedure that has gained popularity due to its potential benefits over traditional coronary artery bypass grafting, including reduced morbidity and mortality. However, sternal wound complication (SWC) remains challenging following the procedure. The technique of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) harvesting has been shown to impact the incidence of SWC. This study aimed to compare the incidence of SWC between two techniques of LIMA harvesting, i.e., skeletonized and pedicled. Methods: The study was conducted at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, and included 60 patients who underwent OPCAB. The patients were divided into two groups of 30 each based on the technique of LIMA harvesting used, i.e., skeletonized (group A) or pedicled (group B). The postoperative ICU care was given to each patient as per the protocol. The statistical analysis was conducted using the SPSS version 26.0 for Windows software. Results: The results showed that 5 (8.33%) patients developed SWC, with 1 (1.67%) patient in group A and 4 (6.66%) patients in group B. However, the occurrence of SWC was not statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.35). The mean age, gender distribution, and comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and anemia were also not statistically significant between the two groups. The number of smokers was statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.03), and the occurrence of SWC was found to be higher in smoker patients in group B (p = 0.04). Preoperative and postoperative parameters such as duration of operation, duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of chest drains, duration of the central venous line, and amount of postoperative mediastinal bleeding were also not statistically significant between the two groups. The distribution of wound complications, duration of ICU stays, and hospital stay between the two groups was also not statistically significant. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study found that the incidence of SWC was less in skeletonized LIMA harvesting than in pedicled LIMA harvesting after OPCAB. However, this finding was not statistically significant. Further studies with larger sample sizes may be needed to confirm these results and determine the appropriate technique of LIMA harvesting to decrease the incidence of SWC after OPCAB.

Clinical efficacy and significance of serum fibroblast growth factor-21 and ghrelin in the treatment of type 2 diabetes complicated with coronary heart disease with integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine

Objective: To treat the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease, to explore the clinical efficacy and mechanism of conventional western medicine combined with Yiqi Yangyin Huoxue herbs, and to detect the level of serum fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) and Ghrelin. Changes and significance. Methods: A randomized control method was used to collect 100 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease who were diagnosed and treated in our hospital from March 2015 to March 2018.They were randomly divided into two groups according to the random number table method: 50 patients separately. The patients in the control group were treated with conventional western medicine and basic treatment;the observation group was treated with the addition and subtraction of traditional Chinese medicine formulas on the basis of the control group;the clinical curative effect was evaluated after two months of treatment, and the treatment efficiency and scores of traditional Chinese medicine symptoms were observed in the two groups. Basic laboratory indicators were improved, and serum levels of FGF-21 and Ghrelin in patients were measured and the difference between the results of the tests was compared with the condition and efficacy. Results: After treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group (86.0%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (68.0%) (P<0.05), suggesting that the combination of Chinese and Western medicine treatment can significantly improve the clinical efficacy;before treatment,there is no difference between the two groups of Chinese medicine symptom scores (P>0.05). After treatment, the symptom scores of the two groups were significantly improved after treatment (P<0.05). The observation group was better among the two groups (P<0.05).After treatment, the basic biochemical indicators were improved. The observation group was better than the control group (P<0.05);Serum FGF-21 levels were significantly lower in both groups after treatment (P<0.05), and Ghrelin levels were significantly increased. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: The use of conventional western medicine in combination with Yiqi Yangyin Huoxue Chinese medicine for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with coronary heart disease can significantly improve the clinical efficacy, effectively promote the improvement of symptoms, and can be used in clinical work through serum FGF-21, Ghrelin levels combined detection of the value of Abnormal changes to predict the severity of type 2 diabetes mellitus with coronary heart disease severity and treatment effect should be widely used in clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Gender gap in acute coronary heart disease:Myth or reality?

AIM: To investigate potential gender differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular disease (CVD) management, and prognosis in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed through Medline using pre-specified key words . An additional search was performed, focusing specifically on randomized controlled clinical trials in relation to therapeutic intervention and prognosis. In total, 92 relevant articles were found. RESULTS: Women with CVD tended to have more hypertension and diabetes at the time of presentation, whereas men were more likely to smoke. Coronary angiography and revascularization by percutaneous coronary intervention were performed more often in men. Women were at a greater risk of short-term mortality and complications after revascularization. Interestingly, women under 40 years presenting with ACS were athighest risk of cardiovascular death compared with men of the same age, irrespective of risk factors. This disadvantage disappeared in older age. The long-term mortality risk of ACS was similar in men and women, and even in favor of women. CONCLUSION: Mortality rates are higher among young women with ACS, but this difference tends to disappear with age, and long-term prognosis is even better among older women.

Coronary artery bypass grafting in the octogenarians： should we intervene, or leave them be？

Objective Coronary artery bypass grafting （CABG） is gradually increasing in the elderly population. We aimed to investigate the risk factors and the results of CABG along with the long term survival in patients at an age of 80 and older. Methods Between Januaa-y 2002 and December 201 I, a total of i01 consecutive patients at an age of S0 and older who underwent CABG in our hospital were included in the study. The patients were followed and the long-term survival was estimated. Results The mean age of the patients was 82.98 ~ 2.27 years. Sixty-four （63.4%） were males and 37 （36.6%） were females. Emergency surgery, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, the intensive care unit （ICU） stay, inotropic support, intra aortic balloon pulsation application, amount oferythrocyte transfusion and flesh frozen plasma transfusion and ventilation period were significantly higher in the patients who died in the hospital. The duration of cardiopulmonary bypass （CPB） was found to be an inde- pendent predictor of mortality （OR： 1.18, 95% CI 1.01-1.38, P = 0.034）. The in-hospital mortality was 16.8%. Kaplan-Meier analyses revealed a survival ratio of 91.3% at one year, 82.9% at three years and 69.0% at five years. Conclusions Patients at the age of 80 and older can be candidates for the CABG procedure bearing in mind that they may have a longer ventilation period and intensive care unit stay. The morbidity and mortality of this age group is considered within an acceptable range. Approaches to minimize CPB, or the choice of off-pump surgery, may be a preventive method to lower the incidence of mortality. Hence, CABG may be performed in this age group with a satisfactory survival ratio.

Coronary artery aneurysm:A review

Coronary artery aneurysm(CAA)is a clinical entity defined by a focal enlargement of the coronary artery exceeding the 1.5-fold diameter of the adjacent normal segment.Atherosclerosis is the main cause in adults and Kawasaki disease in children.CAA is a silent progressive disorder incidentally detected by coronary angiography,but it may end with fatal complications such as rupture,compression of adjacent cardiopulmonary structures,thrombus formation and distal embolization.The pathophysiological mechanisms are not well understood.Atherosclerosis,proteolytic imbalance and inflammatory reaction are involved in aneurysmal formation.Data from previously published studies are scarce and controversial,thereby the management of CAA is individualized depending on clinical presentation,CAA characteristics,patient profile and physician experience.Multiple therapeutic approaches including medical treatment,covered stent angioplasty,coil insertion and surgery were described.Herein,we provide an up-to-date systematic review on the pathophysiology,complications and management of CAA.

Life-threatening subclavian artery bleeding following percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Vascular complications of transradial percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)are rare and usually occur at the access site below the elbow.Life-threatening vascular complications during transradial PCI therapy,such as vessel perforation and dissection in the brachiocephalic,subclavian,internal mammary,and thyrocervical arteries,are rarely reported.Subclavian artery bleeding is a potentially serious complication of vascular interventional procedures leading to tracheal obstruction,hemothorax,respiratory failure,hemorrhagic shock,and death if not diagnosed early and treated promptly.CASE SUMMARY A male patient with typical angina pectoris underwent coronary angiography and stent implantation.During the procedure,the patient felt pharyngeal pain and tightness,which we mistook for myocardial ischemia.After PCI,swelling in the right neck and supraclavicular area was observed.The patient experienced dyspnea,emergency endotracheal intubation was performed,and then a sudden drop in blood pressure was observed.Ultrasound and contrast-enhanced computed tomography scans demonstrated a cervical hematoma severely compressing the trachea due to subclavian artery bleeding.Brachiocephalic angiography revealed a vascular injury site at the root of the right subclavian artery at the intersection of the right common carotid artery.A covered stent was deployed to the right subclavian artery with successful sealing of the perforation,and a bare stent was implanted in the junction of the right common carotid and brachiocephalic arteries to prevent obstruction of blood flow to the brain.CONCLUSION Subclavian artery bleeding is a lifethreatening complication of PCI.Early prevention,rapid recognition,and prompt treatment may improve the prognosis.

Delayed right coronary ostial obstruction after J-valve deployment in transcatheter aortic valve implantation: A case report

BACKGROUND Aortic stenosis is the most common valve disease in adults.Transcatheter aortic valve implantation(TAVI)is being increasingly applied for intermediate-to lowrisk patients.Here,we describe an uncommon complication of delayed right coronary obstruction in a transapical TAVI case.CASE SUMMARY A 73-year-old woman with a EuroSCORE II of 1.21%underwent transapical TAVI because of severe aortic stenosis.The surgical procedure was uneventful.However,during routine monitoring after valve placement,the patient had a sudden onset of slow heart rate,the systolic blood pressure dropped sharply from 115 to 60 mmHg,and the central venous pressure abruptly increased from 10 to 33 cmH2O.The patient had a poor response to vasoactive agents.Transesophageal echocardiography revealed poor myocardial contractility,and electrocardiography showed a significant depression of ST-segment.Another angiography was performed immediately,which suggested complete obstruction of the right coronary artery.An emergency protocol was initiated.Cardiopulmonary bypass was established immediately.An aortic biological valve replacement under cardiopulmonary bypass was performed.CONCLUSION Perioperative monitoring,early recognition,and diagnosis of obstruction of coronary arteries in TAVI are important.Transesophageal echocardiography is a useful diagnostic and monitoring tool in this situation.Emergency protocols should be established during TAVI.

Retrieval of dislodged coronary stent from left renal artery by gooseneck snare

A rapamycin-eluting stent was dislodged during attempt of implantation at the proximal right coronary artery,which was found by fluoroscopy to have migrated into the anterior trunk of the left renal artery.We chose a 5 mm diameter Amplatz gooseneck snare and successfully retrieved the lost stent from the lodging vessel.

A novel treatment of refractory coronary embolism:thrombus aspiration catheter-assisted twisting wire technique

Coronary embolism caused by the thrombus from guiding catheters is a rare and challenging complication,which may result in serious and fatal consequences due to the loss of blood flow of the coronary artery during percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Current strategies for the reduction of thrombus burden include pharmacological agents(typically glycoprotein IIb/IIIa platelet inhibitors),embolic protection devices(filters and distal balloon occlusion with aspiration),mechanical thrombectomy and manual or aspiration thrombectomy devices.[1]The above strategies are widely used as the first-line treatments,but have limitations for some refractory thrombus.A few techniques have been invented before to address this issue,[2–6]but they are not always effective or unavailable in some medical centers.

Coronary artery stents and surgery;the basis of sound perioperative management

The introduction of drug-eluting stents (DES) to interventional cardiology heralded a limited time of increased anaesthetic and surgical complications in patients implanted with these devices. The horns of the dilemma, in the anaesthetic and surgical management of patients in the first 3-6 months after the 1st generation DES insertion, were between the risk of bleeding from continued clopidogrel treatment and the risk of instent thrombosis and myocardial infarction following discontinuation of dual antiplatelet therapy, clopidogrel and aspirin. Initial accounts of early catastrophic cardiac and haemorrhagic complications, at the time of elective or emergency surgery, following DES insertion, were followed by equally worrying reports of instent thrombosis many months after DES insertion. Initial recommendations for the conduct of safe operations were propagated in the literature before formal guidelines were produced. This article summarises the issues identified in the development of interventional cardiology particularly DES and the requirement for ongoing antiplatelet therapy. The article reviews the treatment protocols that are still applicable for the different devices that have been deployed in clinical practice.