A multidisciplinary approach in determining of prevalence of coronary artery disease and treatment strategies in patients with pathology of the aorta and peripheral arteries
Authors: Alekyan B. G. , Pokrovsky A. V. , Karapetyan N. G. , Revishvili А. Sh. 
Published: September 2019

The treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with combined pathology of peripheral arteries who are to perform endovascular or surgical interventions is a difficult task. The most important issues are the adequate diagnostics of artery systems’ lesions, determining the most optimal strategy and stages of treatment. This makes a multidisciplinary approach with the involvement of various specialists the most optimal.

Aim. Based on multidisciplinary approach, to determine the prevalence of CAD and treatment strategy in patients with lesions of the aorta and peripheral arteries.

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Material and methods. The study included 693 patients with pathology of the aorta and peripheral arteries: 171 (32,5%) were female, and 522 (75,3%) were male. The age of patients ranged from 29 to 93 years, an average — 67,2+8,8 years. Also 32,5% of patients (n=223) were older than 71 years. Cardiac complaints were present only in 203 (29,3%) patients, while 490 (70,7%) were asymptomatic. The majority of 693 patients had an isolated lesion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) (n=196, 28,3%), a combined lesion of the ICA and lower limb arteries (n=93, 13,4%), a combined lesion of the iliac and superficial femoral arteries (n=70, 10,1%) and femoral arteries lesions (n=60, 8,6%).

Results. Finally, 554 (79,9%) of 693 patients had lesions of at least one coronary artery more than 50%, while 368 (66,4%) of them were clinically asymptomatic. By the decision of the multidisciplinary heart team, 316 (57,0%) patients underwent myocardial revascularization operations: 21 (6,7%) — coronary artery bypass grafting and 295 (50,3%) — percutaneous coronary intervention. Surgical and endovascular operations for pathology of the aorta and peripheral arteries were performed in 486 (70,1%) of 693 patients. Unlike with 260 (53,5%) patients, in 226 (46,5%) patients, in addition to vascular surgery, myocardial revascularization was performed. As a result of 923 (564 endovascular and 359 surgical) operations performed in 580 patients at the hospital stage, 3 (0,51%) of them had a fatal outcome. In other 2 (0,56%) cases, there was stroke: in one case after ICA prosthetics, in the other case — thrombosis of the ICA after the carotid endarterectomy. Acute myocardial infarction at the hospital stage was not detected in any of the patients.

Conclusion. In 79,9% of patients with atherosclerosis of the aorta and peripheral arteries, at least one coronary artery lesion of more than 50% is detected. In 66,4% of patients with pathology of the aorta and peripheral arteries and with lesions of the coronary arteries of more than 50%, there are no cardiac complaints. In 45,6% of patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of atherosclerotic lesions of the aorta and peripheral arteries, myocardial revascularization is required. A multidisciplinary approach is an effective and safe treatment strategy for patients with pathology of the aorta and peripheral arteries of atherosclerotic origin and concomitant CAD.