Recent Advances in Interventional Cardiology

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past decade the general landscape of interventional cardiology has been dramatically changed by new advancements which allow us to tackle increasingly complex lesions. Since the use of intracoronary imaging has become a routine practice for most complex cases and multiple debulking strategies have demonstrated their efficacy, a variety of lesions which were not long ago considered to be the Achille’s heel of interventional cardiology are currently being treated almost daily. Therefore, bifurcation lesions, highly calcific lesions, chronic total occlusions, acute coronary syndromes complicated with cardiogenic shock, multivessel disease, and diffuse lesions have modern solutions in current era, with very good long-term outcomes.

One of the most promising advancements is the growing role of drug-coated balloons (DCBs). Initially developed for in-stent restenosis, DCBs are routinely being used in small vessel disease, with promising results for various other de novo lesions. This popular approach has been studied in more and more complex scenarios, with encouraging results obtained; however, it is vital to gather data from larger trials in order to better understand the role of DCBs in this area.

With the increased availability of intracoronary imaging, the interventionalist’s ability to adjust therapy based on a person’s plaque morphology and lesion characteristics has never been greater. This imaging-guided precision has improved both acute procedural success and long-term outcomes, particularly in complex subsets such as left main disease and bifurcations.

Finally, the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) continues to evolve with advances in both pharmacology and interventional techniques. There are still, however, multiple questions to be answered in complex ACS scenarios, including multivessel PCI in STEMI, plaque erosion-guided strategies, and the use of mechanical circulatory support in cardiogenic shock.

This Special Issue, titled “Recent Advances in Interventional Cardiology,” brings together cutting-edge research focusing on contemporary advances and future directions in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The main topics of interest include, but are not limited to, advances in drug-coated balloons, new strategies for tackling calcific lesions, new approaches to complex bifurcation lesions, and current strategies regarding antithrombotic therapy and high-bleeding-risk patients. 

We invite the submission of original research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical studies, technical innovations, and expert perspectives.

Prof. Dr. Dan Mircea Olinic
Guest Editor

Dr. Florin-Leontin Lazar
Guest Editor Assistant

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