BackgroundSaphenous vein graft thrombosis can present as unstable angina. However, percutaneous coronary intervention for saphenous vein graft lesions poses a high risk of slow flow related to the procedure. Here we present the utilization of the novel oral anticoagulant, apixaban, in the treatment of unstable angina with extensive saphenous vein graft thrombus, leading to considerable thrombus resolution and eliminating the need of percutaneous coronary intervention.Case presentationA 72-year-old man with 3-vessel coronary artery bypass graft surgery using a saphenous vein graft and a left internal mammary artery, performed 25 years earlier, presented at our hospital with recurrent chest tightness. The echocardiography showed regional hypokinesis of the post-lateral wall with moderate left ventricular dysfunction, which had not been previously confirmed. Coronary angiography showed obstruction of the saphenous vein graft with a large thrombus burden. The left internal mammary artery was patent and other natives were the same as they had been 3 years ago. He was diagnosed with unstable angina due to acute saphenous vein graft thrombosis. Instead of percutaneous coronary intervention, he was treated with apixaban 5 mg twice a day. The angiography 3 weeks after starting apixaban showed considerable resolution of the thrombus and opening of the saphenous vein graft.ConclusionsApixaban could become a viable treatment option for acute saphenous vein graft thrombosis.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12959-017-0133-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Coronary access after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is challenging due to the changes in aortic geometry. The perpendicular (long-axis) view of the transcatheter heart valve (THV) is usually used as the primary fluoroscopic angle. However, it does not always provide sufficient information on the rotational axis needed for selective coronary ostia engagement. The en face (short-axis) view from the deep right-anterior-oblique cranial position gives us additional information about three-dimensional spatial relationship of the THV and coronary ostia. Case summary We present three cases of coronary access after TAVI. We were successful in the use of the “en face” view along with the perpendicular view in these cases. Discussion The use of the en face view complements that of the perpendicular long-axis view since it allows the understanding of the three-dimensional spatial relationship of the THV and the coronary ostia during fluoroscopy and control of catheter manipulation in two directions (up/down for perpendicular and clockwise/counterclockwise for en face view). We believe that the en face view helps improve the technical success of coronary access after TAVI.

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Recurrent varices after surgery (REVAS) is a common problem with no established treatment. Ultrasonography is a hard method to identify the source of veins that cause REVAS, especially in obese patients with thick thighs. Here, we report the case of a 64-year-old obese patient who previously underwent endothermal venous ablation for her right great saphenous vein. The patient presented with right leg swelling and venous ulceration due to REVAS. Although the source of REVAS was unclear because the patient had thick thighs on ultrasonography assessment, venography revealed that the source of REVAS was the incompetent perforator vein (IPV). Selective ablation for the IPV with radiofrequency ablation catheter was performed. We could ablate the target veins selectively so as not to ablate within the deep vein. The patient remains asymptomatic for 2 years after the procedure, and there has been no recurrence of her varicose veins. Venography allows better visualization of the source of REVAS than ultrasonography. With selective ablation, it is especially effective procedure in obese patients, in whom it is difficult to identify and access the source of REVAS with ultrasonography.

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