Frequency-domain optical coherence tomography findings in patients with bifurcated lesions undergoing provisional stenting

Comparison of Stent Geometry Achieved by Different Side-Branch Ballooning Techniques For Bifurcation Provisional Stenting: The CRABBIS Trial

BACKGROUND

Stepwise provisional stenting is the most adopted approach for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in bifurcation lesions. During these procedures, the side branch (SB) may deserve treatment, but the best ballooning technique is still undetermined.

OBJECTIVES

The study sought to compare the stent configurations obtained by 2 SB ballooning sequences after main vessel (MV) stent implantation: the proximal optimization technique + kissing balloon inflation + final proximal optimization technique (PKP) vs the proximal optimization technique + isolated side branch dilation + final proximal optimization technique (PSP).

METHODS

We conducted a 1:1 prospective, randomized, single-center trial to compare bifurcation PCI performed with either PKP or PSP in left main or large (SB diameter >2.75 mm) coronary bifurcations (NCT05559424). The achieved stent configurations (in terms of expansion, apposition, and eccentricity at 5 different bifurcation segments) were evaluated using optical coherence tomography in the MV. The predefined primary study endpoint was minimum stent expansion at the distal MV segment.

RESULTS

A total of 60 patients undergoing bifurcation PCI according to stepwise provisional stenting were enrolled (30 randomized to PKP and 30 to PSP). At postintervention optical coherence tomography, minimum stent expansion at the distal MV segment was significantly higher with PKP as compared with PSP (99.3% ± 12.7% vs 83.8% ± 19.5%; P < 0.001). Additional relevant findings included a higher rate of malapposition in the bifurcation core and distal MV with PSP and improved SB scaffolding with PKP. No significant differences in terms of stent eccentricity were noted between PSP and PKP in all the segments analyzed.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present randomized trial show that during stepwise provisional stenting in left main or large bifurcations, the PKP ballooning sequence is associated with better stent configuration compared with the PSP.

Intravascular imaging-guided versus angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention: a systematic review and bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become one of the most commonly performed interventional life-saving procedures worldwide. Intravascular Imaging (intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT)) have initially evolved to guide PCI compared with angiography. However, this technology is not universally employed in all PCI procedures, and there is ongoing controversy regarding its additional benefits to patient outcomes. We aim to estimate the efficacy and safety of imaging modalities during PCI, allowing pre-, per, and post-intervention assessment of coronary vascularization.

METHODS

A systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which were retrieved from PubMed, WOS, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and CENTRAL through September 2023. We used R, version 4.2.0. Effect sizes will be presented as odds ratios with accompanying 95% credible intervals.

PROSPERO ID

CRD42024507821.

RESULTS

Our study, encompassing 36 RCTs with a total of 17,572 patients, revelead that compared to conventional angiography, IVUS significantly reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (OR: 0.71 [95% CrI: 0.56 to 0.87]) but not OCT (OR: 0.91 [95% CrI: 0.62 to 1.39]), IVUS and OCT significantly reduced the risk of cardiac death (OR: 0.50 [95% CrI: 0.33 to 0.76]) and (OR: 0.55 [95% CrI: 0.31 to 0.98]), respectively, IVUS significantly reduced the risk of target vessel-related revascularization (OR: 0.60 [95% CrI: 0.48 to 0.75]) but not OCT (OR: 0.86 [95% CrI: 0.60 to 1.19]), IVUS and OCT significantly reduced the risk of stent thrombosis (OR: 0.50 [95% CrI: 0.28 to 0.92]) and (OR: 0.48 [95% CrI: 0.22 to 0.98]), respectively, IVUS significantly reduced the risk of re-stenosis (OR: 0.65 [95% CrI: 0.46 to 0.88]) but not OCT (OR: 0.55 [95% CrI: 0.15 to 1.99]), neither IVUS (OR: 0.97 [95% CrI: 0.71 to 1.38]) nor OCT (OR: 0.75 [95% CrI: 0.49 to 1.22]) were associated with statistically significant reductions in all-cause mortality, neither IVUS (OR: 0.70 [95% CrI: 0.45 to 1.32]) nor OCT (OR: 0.81 [95% CrI: 0.47 to 1.59]) were associated with statistically significant reductions in target vessel failure, neither IVUS (OR: 0.88 [95% CrI: 0.43 to 2.44]) nor OCT (OR: 0.81 [95% CrI: 0.37 to 2.04]) were associated with statistically significant reductions in target lesion failure, and neither IVUS (OR: 0.82 [95% CrI: 0.60 to 1.06]) nor OCT (OR: 0.84 [95% CrI: 0.59 to 1.19]) were associated with statistically significant reductions in myocardial infarction.

CONCLUSION

Intravascular imaging-guided, including IVUS and OCT, improved the postinterventional outcomes of PCI, notably suggesting their advantage over traditional angiography with no significant difference between IVUS and OCT.

Artificial Intelligence for the Interventional Cardiologist: Powering and Enabling OCT Image Interpretation

Intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) is a form of intra-coronary imaging that uses near-infrared light to generate high-resolution, cross-sectional, and 3D volumetric images of the vessel. Given its high spatial resolution, IVOCT is well-placed to characterise coronary plaques and aid with decision-making during percutaneous coronary intervention. IVOCT requires significant interpretation skills, which themselves require extensive education and training for effective utilisation, and this would appear to be the biggest barrier to its widespread adoption. Various artificial intelligence-based tools have been utilised in the most contemporary clinical IVOCT systems to facilitate better human interaction, interpretation and decision-making. The purpose of this article is to review the existing and future technological developments in IVOCT and demonstrate how they could aid the operator.

Configuration of two-stent coronary bifurcation techniques in explanted beating hearts: the MOBBEM study

BACKGROUND

In patients with complex coronary bifurcation lesions undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), various 2-stent techniques might be utilised. The Visible Heart Laboratories (VHL) offer an experimental environment where PCI results can be assessed by multimodality imaging.

AIMS

We aimed to assess the post-PCI stent configuration achieved by 2-stent techniques in the VHL and to evaluate the procedural factors associated with suboptimal results.

METHODS

Bifurcation PCI with 2-stent techniques, performed by expert operators in the VHL on explanted beating swine hearts, was studied. The adopted bifurcation PCI strategy and the specific procedural steps applied in each procedure were classified according to Main, Across, Distal, Side (MADS)-2 and to their adherence to the European Bifurcation Club (EBC) recommendations. Microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) was used to assess the post-PCI stent configuration. The primary endpoint was "suboptimal stent implantation", defined as a composite of stent underexpansion (<90%), side branch ostial area stenosis >50% and the gap between stents.

RESULTS

A total of 82 PCI with bifurcation stenting were assessed, comprised of 29 crush, 25 culotte, 28 T/T and small protrusion (TAP) techniques. Suboptimal stent implantation was observed in as many as 53.7% of the cases, regardless of baseline anatomy or the stenting strategy. However, less frequent use of the proximal optimisation technique (POT; p=0.015) and kissing balloon inflations (KBI; p=0.027) and no adherence to EBC recommendations (p=0.004, p multivariate=0.006) were significantly associated with the primary endpoint.

CONCLUSIONS

Commonly practised bifurcation 2-stent techniques may result in imperfect stent configurations. More frequent use of POT/KBI and adherence to expert recommendations might reduce the occurrence of post-PCI suboptimal stent configurations.

Quantitative flow ratio modulated by intracoronary optical coherence tomography for predicting physiological efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND

The combination of coronary imaging assessment and blood flow perturbation estimation has the potential to improve percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) guidance.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to evaluate a novel method for fast computation of Murray law-based quantitative flow ratio (μQFR) from coregistered optical coherence tomography (OCT) and angiography (OCT-modulated μQFR, OCT-μQFR) in predicting physiological efficacy of PCI.

METHODS

Patients treated by OCT-guided PCI in the OCT-arm of the Fractional Flow Reserve versus Optical Coherence Tomography to Guide RevasculariZAtion of Intermediate Coronary Stenoses trial (FORZA, NCT01824030) were included. Based on angiography and OCT before PCI, simulated residual OCT-μQFR was computed by assuming full stent expansion to the intended-to-treat segment. Plaque composition was automatically characterized using a validated artificial intelligence algorithm. Actual post-PCI OCT-μQFR pullback was computed based on coregistration of angiography and OCT acquired immediately after PCI. Suboptimal functional stenting result was defined as OCT-μQFR ≤ 0.90.

RESULTS

Paired simulated residual OCT-μQFR and actual post-PCI OCT-μQFR were obtained in 76 vessels from 74 patients. Simulated residual OCT-μQFR showed good correlation (r = 0.80, p < 0.001), agreement (mean difference = -0.02 ± 0.02, p < 0.001), and diagnostic concordance (79%, 95% confidence interval: 70%-88%) with actual post-PCI OCT-μQFR. Actual post-PCI in-stent OCT-μQFR had a median value of 0.02 and was associated with left anterior descending artery lesion location (β = 0.38, p < 0.001), higher baseline total plaque burden (β = 0.25, p = 0.031), and fibrous plaque volume (β = 0.24, p = 0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

This study based on patients enrolled in a prospective OCT-guidance PCI trial shows that simulated residual OCT-μQFR had good correlation, agreement, and diagnostic concordance with actual post-PCI OCT-μQFR. In OCT-guided procedures, OCT-μQFR in-stent pressure drop was low and was significantly predicted by pre-PCI vessel/plaque characteristics.

Under-deployment of extra-large drug-eluting stent: an adapted provisional technique for selected patients with distal lesions in large left main

BACKGROUND

In provisional technique, main vessel (MV) drug-eluting stent (DES) diameter is usually selected according to distal MV to reduce carina shift. Proximal optimization technique (POT) is used to expand the DES in the proximal MV. Occasionally, the size discrepancy between left main (LM) and left anterior descending artery (LAD) may be huge and this may cause stent malapposition and poor vessel wall coverage in large-sized LM. Recently, some manufactures designed extra-large DES to treat large vessels.

METHODS

We developed an "adapted" provisional strategy based on under-deployment of extra-large DES in case of major size mismatch between LM and proximal LAD. Bench tests were realized in appropriately designed LM bifurcation model using an extra-large DES (Onyx XL, Medtronic, Santa Rosa, CA, USA). This technique was adopted when such "rare" anatomy was found in our clinical practice.

RESULTS

At bench test, Onyx XL 4.5 mm stent reaches 3.8 mm at 5-6 atmospheres, with favorable stent deformation achieved after POT, kissing balloon and re-POT. This technique was performed in 10 patients undergoing unprotected LM stenting with large LM and major mismatch toward LAD. Angiographic success was achieved in all cases and optical coherence tomography assessment was performed in 5 patients revealing optimal stent result. After a follow-up of 557 days (range: 90-1369 days), clinical course was uneventful in all treated patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Under-deployment of extra-large DES is a technical option that can be considered to optimize the provisional stenting technique in selected patients with major diameter mismatch between large-sized LM and LAD.

Optical coherence tomography predictors of target vessel myocardial infarction after provisional stenting in patients with coronary bifurcation disease

BACKGROUND

Provisional side branch (SB) stenting is correlated with target vessel myocardial infarction (TVMI) in patients with coronary bifurcation lesions. However, the mechanisms underlying this association remain unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the correlation between SB lesion length with vulnerable plaques and TVMI using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

BACKGROUND

The correlation between SB lesion length with vulnerable plaques and TVMI is unknown.

METHODS

A total of 405 patients with 405 bifurcation lesions who underwent preprocedure OCT imaging of both the main vessel (MV) and the SB were enrolled. Patients were divided into long SB lesion (SB lesion length ≥10 mm) and short SB lesion (SB lesion length <10 mm) groups according to quantitative coronary analysis; they were also stratified by the presence of vulnerable plaques identified by OCT. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of TVMI after provisional stenting at 1-year follow-up.

RESULTS

In total, 178 (43.9%) patients had long SB lesions. Vulnerable plaques were predominantly localized in the MV and were more frequently in the long SB lesion group (42.7%) than in the short SB lesion group (24.2%, p < .001). At 1-year follow-up after provisional stenting, there were 31 (7.7%) TVMIs, with 21 (11.8%) in the long SB lesion group and 10 (4.4%) in the short SB lesion group (p = .009). Multivariate regression analysis showed that long SB lesion length (p = .011), absence of vulnerable plaques in the polygon of confluence (p = .001), and true coronary bifurcation lesions (p = .004) were the three independent factors of TVMI.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of long SB lesion with MV vulnerable plaques predicts the increased risk of TVMI after provisional stenting in patients with true coronary bifurcation lesions. Further studies are warranted to identify the best stenting techniques for coronary bifurcation lesions with long SB lesions.

Local fluid dynamics in patients with bifurcated coronary lesions undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions

Although the coronary arteries are uniformly exposed to systemic cardiovascular risk factors, atherosclerosis development has a non-random distribution, which follows the local mechanical stresses including flow-related hemodynamic forces. Among these, wall shear stress plays an essential role and it represents the major flow-related factor affecting the distribution of atherosclerosis in coronary bifurcations. Furthermore, an emerging body of evidence suggests that hemodynamic factors such as low and oscillating wall shear stress may facilitate the development of in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis after successful drug-eluting stent implantation. Drug-eluting stent implantation represents the gold standard for bifurcation interventions. In this specific setting of interventions on bifurcated lesions, the impact of fluid dynamics is expected to play a major role and constitutes substantial opportunity for future technical improvement. In the present review, available data is summarized regarding the role of local fluid dynamics in the clinical outcome of patients with bifurcated lesions.

Procedural findings and early healing response after implantation of a self-apposing bioresorbable scaffold in coronary bifurcation lesions

We aimed to evaluate feasibility, early healing and self-correcting properties of the Desolve 150 bioresorbable scaffold (BRS) implanted in bifurcation lesions, using the simple, provisional side branch (SB) stenting technique. BIFSORB pilot was a proof-of-concept study enrolling 10 patients with stable angina pectoris and a bifurcation lesion with SB ≥ 2.5 mm and less than 50% diameter stenosis. Procedure and 1-month outcome was evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) to assess scaffold performance and healing patterns. Nine patients were treated with Desolve 150 BRS and one delivery to the target bifurcation failed. Thrombus formation in the jailed SB ostium was seen in three cases, but was completely resolved at 1-month. OCT confirmed acute self-correcting properties. No clinical events were reported after six months. Scaffold diameter by OCT increased in the proximal main vessel from 3.09 ± 0.16 mm to 3.34 ± 0.18 mm (p = 0.01) and in distal main vessel from 2.82 ± 0.26 mm to 3.02 ± 0.29 mm (p < 0.01) at one-month follow-up. SB ostial diameter stenosis improved from 42 ± 15% to 34 ± 12% (p = 0.01). Malapposition was effectively reduced after 1 month from 4.1 (1.4; 6.1)% to 0.1 (0; 0.6)% (p = 0.002). Treatment of bifurcation lesions using Desolve 150 BRS was feasible except for a delivery failure and unsettling thrombus formation behind jailing SB struts, which was completely resolved at 1-month. Self-correcting and even self-expanding properties were confirmed.

OCT-guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Bifurcation Lesions

Coronary artery bifurcation lesions remain challenging despite significant advancements in stent technology and development of specific bifurcation stenting approaches. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is the intracoronary imaging technique with the highest resolution and can generate automatically contoured lumen areas across the variable geometry of bifurcation lesions. Knowledge of plaque severity and composition facilitates planning of the best strategy for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and stenting. In particular, the provisional stent strategy preferred in this context can be modified when there is high risk of side-branch compromise at the ostium after main vessel stenting. OCT is unique because it allows the identification of the site of guide wire crossing, an important determinant of the final result. OCT can also be used to assess the procedural success of new dedicated bifurcation stent technologies and for the evaluation at follow-up of potential predictors of stent thrombosis, including stent malapposition, stent under-expansion and stent-edge dissection. Finally, the development of 3D OCT allows a better evaluation of coronary anatomy — particularly of side branch ostium that is difficult to visualise by 2D OCT — further improving the value of this technique in guiding PCI in these patients.

Rational and design of the European randomized Optical Coherence Tomography Optimized Bifurcation Event Reduction Trial (OCTOBER)

Background

Percutaneous coronary intervention in complex bifurcation lesions is prone to suboptimal implantation results and is associated with increased risk of subsequent clinical events. Angiographic ambiguity is high during bifurcation stenting, but it is unknown if procedural guidance by intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) improves clinical outcome.

Methods and Design

OCTOBER is a randomized, investigator-initiated, multicenter trial aimed to show superiority of OCT-guided stent implantation compared to standard angiographic-guided implantation in bifurcation lesions. The primary outcome measure is a 2-year composite end point of cardiac death, target lesion myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization. The calculated sample size is 1,200 patients in total, and allocation is 1:1. Eligible patients have stable or unstable angina pectoris or stabilized non–ST elevation myocardial infarction, and a coronary bifurcation lesion with significant main vessel stenosis and more than 50 % stenosis in a side branch with a reference diameter ≥2.5mm. Treatment is performed by the provisional side branch stenting technique or 2-stent techniques, and the systematic OCT guiding protocol is aimed to evaluate (1) plaque preparation, (2) lesion length, (3) segmental reference sizes, (4) lesion coverage, (5) stent expansion, (6) malapposition, (7) wire positions, and (8) ostial results.

Implications

A positive outcome of the OCTOBER trial may establish OCT as a routine tool for optimization of complex percutaneous coronary intervention, whereas a negative result would indicate that OCT remains a tool for ad hoc evaluation in selected cases.

A review in enormity of OCT and its enduring understanding of vulnerable plaque in coronary bifurcation lesion

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has emerged as one of the most promising tools to assist the optimization of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Its ability to provide unique information on the plaque at high risk for rupture, plaque composition, the thickness of the fibrous cap, the presence of macrophage and thrombi has not only assisted simple PCI but also in many complex bifurcation lesions PCI. OCT has helped to provide valuable anatomic information to optimize stent implantation and adapt PCI strategy in individual patients. This review article summarizes the current role of OCT as an imaging technology and prediction of vulnerable plaque, its site and composition at the coronary bifurcation lesions for supporting the clinical decision.

Optical coherence tomography to guide percutaneous treatment of coronary bifurcation disease

INTRODUCTION

Cardiovascular disease remains the most common cause of death worldwide. Enormous progress in the technology and applicability of percutaneous techniques to treat obstructive coronary heart disease has been made, and the number of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) is increasing. Coronary bifurcations are involved in a substantial number of PCIs and despite recent advances, bifurcation PCI remains a challenge in terms of immediate success and long-term outcome. Angiography has a limited capacity for showing important features of the 3 dimensional coronary vessel anatomy, position of stent struts and exact wire positions and is therefore suboptimal for guiding bifurcation PCI. Intracoronary optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides high resolution and the information gained during PCI is unprecedented compared with angiography guidance and intravascular ultrasound. Areas covered: This review will provide an overview of the use of OCT to guide bifurcation-PCI. Expert commentary: OCT is a promising guide for bifurcation-PCI at each individual step: from planning the strategy (provisional versus two-stent strategy), to guidance during PCI, and finally checking the interventional result. Until dedicated randomized trails are complete, we recommend OCT guidance for interventions in complex coronary bifurcation disease and for imaging when unexpected procedural events occur.

New insight to estimate under-expansion after stent implantation on bifurcation lesions using optical coherence tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows full volumetric segmentation of the lumen. However, for the estimation of stent under-expansion we still rely on the conventional method (CM) of single cross-sectional narrowing compared with reference vessel, likely masking true lesion significance, especially for bifurcations and tapered vessels. We, therefore, suggest a novel concept of volumetric metrics that take into account vessel tapering and major side branches and is capable of obtaining ideal lumen area for every frame of the stent by OCT. Forty-four patients with bifurcation lesions were enrolled. In volumetric metrics, expansion index was calculated as [(actual lumen area/ideal lumen area) × 100] in all frames. While minimum expansion index (MEI) was often located in the proximal segment to the major side branch, minimum stent area (MSA) by CM was frequently located in the distal segment (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the frequency of the under-expansion was significantly greater in newly metrics compared with CM [21 (47.7%) and 11 (25.0%), p = 0.045]. New metrics changed the presence of the under-expansion in 40.9% (18/44) of patients and the locations of MEI and MSA were different in 72.7% (32/44) of cases. Volumetric assessment enables to more accurately assess stent under-expansion.

Optical coherence tomography assessment of a complex bifurcation lesion treated with double kissing Crush technique: A case report

The DEFINITION (Impact of the complexity of bifurcation lesions treated with drug-eluting stents) study has provided a novel classification to evaluate the complexity of coronary bifurcation lesion according to coronary angiography, but angiographic imaging due to its low resolution and inherited limitation may result in an inaccurate adjudication.We used optical coherence tomography (OCT) to further evaluate the coronary characteristics in a patient with "simple" bifurcation lesion which was classified by the DEFINITION criteria. However, a "complex" bifurcation lesion was defined and confirmed according to the OCT results.A double kissing Crush stenting approach was adopted to treat this "complex" case finally. The immediate and long-term angiographic and OCT results were excellent.OCT may be useful imaging modality to classify complexity of coronary bifurcation lesion and subsequently guide its treatment strategy.

Optimal Revascularization Strategy on Medina 0,1,0 Left Main Bifurcation Lesions in Type 2 Diabetes

Aim. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The implications of a diagnosis of DM are as severe as the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. For many patients with complex coronary artery disease, optimal revascularization strategy selection and optimal medical therapy are equally important. In this study, we compared the hemodynamic results of different stenting techniques for Medina 0,1,0 left main bifurcation lesions. Methods. We use idealized left main bifurcation models and computational fluid dynamics analysis to evaluate hemodynamic parameters which are known to affect the risk of restenosis and thrombosis at stented bifurcation. The surface integrals of time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS) and oscillatory shear index (OSI) at bifurcation site were quantified. Results. Crossover stenting without final kissing balloon angioplasty provided the most favorable hemodynamic results (integrated values of TAWSS = 2.96 × 10^-4 N, OSI = 4.75 × 10^-6 m²) with bifurcation area subjected to OSI values >0.25, >0.35, and >0.45 calculated as 0.39 mm², 0.06 mm², and 0 mm², respectively. Conclusion. Crossover stenting only offers hemodynamic advantages over other stenting techniques for Medina 0,1,0 left main bifurcation lesions and large bifurcation angle is associated with unfavorable flow profiles.

Coronary bifurcation lesions: Present status and future perspectives

Coronary bifurcation lesions (CBLs) are challenging and associated with a higher rate of adverse events than non-bifurcation lesions. In the era of drug-eluting stents, 2 primary interventional strategies for treating CBL include the complex strategy the main vessel (MV) and side-branch (SB) stenting, and the simple strategy MV stenting combined with provisional SB stenting. The meta-analysis of the simple vs. complex strategies demonstrated an increased incidence of myocardial infarction in the complex strategy. Likewise, the Tryton dedicated bifurcation stents, as compared with the simple strategy, increased the rate of myocardial infarction. In contrast, the Nordic-Baltic Bifurcation Study IV demonstrated that event rates were not significantly different comparing the simple vs. complex strategies in true bifurcation lesions involving a large SB. Fractional flow reserve (FFR) has emerged as a powerful catheter based tool for the functional assessment of a stenosis, but the role of FFR on the long-term outcomes of patients with CBL has not been studied. Given the recent evidence that Tryton stents (a dedicated bifurcation stent) increased event rates, and the lack of benefit from using 2-stent techniques (the Nordic Baltic Bifurcation Study IV) in true CBL, assessing the FFR of the SB seems now of outmost importance, but randomized data are lacking. An intravascular study showed that kissing balloon inflation (KBI) significantly reduced SB stenosis, restored stent lumen at the carina, and expanded stent in the proximal segment. However, a recent randomized study showed no significant benefit of routine KBI. This review highlights current concepts and future perspectives in patients with CBL.

Characteristics of drug-eluting stent platforms potentially influencing bifurcated lesion provisional stenting procedure

AIMS

We aimed to review the technical characteristics of DES platforms which have been documented to influence bifurcation stenting procedures conducted according to the provisional approach.

METHODS AND RESULTS

DES platforms have remarkable technical differences (side cell diameter, shape, deformability, etc.). We reviewed the literature data and performed original virtual bench tests to highlight the characteristics of DES platforms which influence the following phases of bifurcation stenting conducted according to the provisional approach: stent implantation in the main vessel across side-branch take-off ("crossover" stenting), proximal optimisation technique, rewiring and kissing balloon inflation. Available data show that the response of different DES platforms to the various procedural steps of provisional stenting is different.

CONCLUSIONS

When treating bifurcated lesions according to the provisional stenting approach, the search for an ideal matching between individual bifurcated anatomy and DES selection should take into account an articulated series of technical parameters.