While the ideal treatment for coronary bifurcation is provisional stenting, this can be associated with side branch occlusion, which leads to severe adverse events. To prevent this complication, several treatments have been proposed. One of them is wire jailing at side branch before stent implantation in the main vessel. However, the actual benefit of this…
Non-Compliant Balloons Improve Bifurcation Outcomes
Courtesy of Dr. Carlos Fava. The provisional approach is the standard strategy to treat bifurcations, but it might cause dissection of the ostium, a serious complication of the side branch. The use of non-compliant balloons (NCB) ensures uniform, constant, and controlled expansion along balloon length, reducing the risk of dissection. The COBIS II registry enrolled…
In Bifurcations, less is more, also at long term
Original Title: Optimal Strategy for Provisional Side Branch Intervention in Coronary Bifurcation Lesions3-Year Outcomes of the SMART-STRATEGY Randomized Trial. Reference: Young Bin Song et al. J Am CollCardiolIntv. 2016;9(6):517-526. This study compared the long term outcomes of the conservative strategy vs. the aggressive strategy for provisional side branch intervention in coronary bifurcations. It has already…