background: small side branches, albeit less important than their larger counterparts, have not yet received due attention in the literature. nor has there ever been a comparison between drug-eluting stents and bare metal stents apropos side branch occlusion . the aim of this study was to compare the patency of small (≥0.5 and ≤1.5 mm in diameter) side branches with respect to bare metal vs. dr...

AIMS We investigated whether routine T-stenting reduces restenosis of the side branch as compared with provisional T-stenting in patients with de novo coronary bifurcation lesions. METHODS AND RESULTS Our randomized study assigned 101 patients with a coronary bifurcation lesion to routine T-stenting with sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) in both branches and 101 patients to provisional T-stentin...

In about 50% of patients who undergo a percutaneous coronary intervention for an atheromatous lesion there is a side branch that is involved in or borders on the lesion. In such cases, the invasive cardiologist must make every attempt to rescue this branch. We present an unusual case of unexpected opening of a side branch of a coronary artery after balloon angioplasty and stenting of the main v...

From January 1996 to December 1998, 90 consecutive patients with true bifurcation lesions underwent percutaneous coronary angioplasty with Wiktor stent implantation in our centers. In 1 group (group I, n = 45), a simple approach (main vessel stenting and balloon angioplasty of the side branch) was pursued. In the other group (group II, n = 45), both the main vessel and the side branch were sten...

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to compare two techniques to treat bifurcation lesions: a single drug-eluting stent (DES) implanted in the main branch combined with balloon dilatation for the side branch vs. stenting of both branches (double stent). BACKGROUND Percutaneous coronary intervention in coronary bifurcation lesions remains challenging. Although DES reduce restenosis in l...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate two different techniques of stent placement in bifurcation lesions. BACKGROUND Although stent placement with dedicated techniques has been suggested to be a useful therapeutic modality for bifurcation lesions, limited information is available if stent placement on the side branch and on the parent branch provides any advantage over a simple...

Correspondence to: Dr Yves Louvard, Institut Cardiovasculaire Paris Sud, Institut Hospitalier Jacques Cartier, 6 avenue du Noyer Lambert, 91300 Massy, France; [email protected] _________________________ E ver since coronary angioplasty was first undertaken, treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions has posed technical problems. w2 Specific difficulties involving access to the side branch an...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to compare the immediate angiographic and long-term results of debulking versus balloon angioplasty for treatment of true bifurcation lesions. BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown true bifurcation lesions to be a high risk morphological subset for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Although atherectomy devices have been used to tr...