Stenting of coronary bifurcation lesions by using modified crush technique with double kissing balloon inflation (sleeve technique): Immediate procedure result and short-term clinical outcomes

Background: Sleeve technique is a modified version of crush technique. It is specifically designed to increase the success rate of final kissing balloon inflation, which used to be a major limitation of the latter. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility, safety, and early clinical outcomes of sleeve technique in stenting different types (de novo, in-stent restenotic or in-stent bifurcation) of coronary bifurcation lesions at different locations. Methods: From August 2005 to May 2006, 41 consecutive patients with symptomatic, nonleft-main coronary bifurcation stenoses of diameter narrowing ≥50% were treated with two-stent strategy, using sleeve technique. Results: The mean age was 63.6 ± 11.6 years with male predominance (70.7%). High prevalence of diabetes mellitus (31.7%), total occlusion (22.0%), and multi-vessel disease (65.9%) was observed in this cohort. Intravenous abciximab was given in 35 (85.4%) patients. Final kissing balloon inflation was successfully performed in all patients. The minimal luminal diameter in main vessel and side branch was increased from 0.97 ± 0.53 mm and 0.81 ± 0.45 mm to 2.76 ± 0.34 mm and 2.22 ± 0.35 mm, respectively. The mean procedure time was only 66.6 ± 24.6 min. There was one (2.4%) case of subacute stent thrombosis presented as non-Q-wave myocardial infarction at day 3 postprocedure. The resultant in-hospital and 30-day major adverse cardiac event rate were both 2.4%. Conclusions: Sleeve technique is a feasible and efficient approach in stenting of coronary bifurcation stenoses. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.