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11th Annual Symposium Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics, September 1999, Washington, DC, USA
The new Beta-Rail™ catheter for intracoronary radiation within the BETA-CATH, START and BRIE trials in Germany.
S. Silber, P. von Rottkay, P. Lössl, A. Schneider, N. Seidel, S. Tourlakidou, B. Gessler, K. Naser, A. Bauer
Dr. Müller Hospital, Munich, Germany
Am J Cardiol 84: (Suppl), 84P (1999)
As the first group in Germany, we had the opportunity to use the Novoste™-System within the international multicenter studies BETA-CATH, START and BRIE. For afterloading, we are exclusively using the monorail Beta-Rail™ catheter. A total of 80 patients was enrolled. The Novoste™-System was used in 77 patients. Ischemic complications were not observed, therefore radiation was performed as planned. The mean applied dose was 16 ± 2 Gy (14 - 20 Gy, at 2 mm distance) and mean exposure time was 203 ± 26 sec (165 - 253 sec). The addition of brachytherapy increased a total duration of the intervention for 17 ± 7 min. At the body surface of the patients, the following dose rates were measured: left chest wall: 70 ± 31 µSv/h; groin 4,1 ± 3 µSv/h. All patients received ASS 300 mg/d o.d. Patients with stent implantation in the same session received 250 mg b.i.d. Ticlopidin or 75 mg Clopidogrel o.d. for at least three months. Total mortality and infarct rate was 0. There was no acute, subacute or late stent thrombosis.
Conclusion: Our first experience with the Novoste™ Beta-Cath™-System showed that intracoronary brachytherapy can be safely and simply performed with the new Beta-Rail™ catheter. There were no acute complications. To avoid the possible risk of late stent thrombosis, Ticlopidin or Clopidogrel must be administered for at least three months.
