Prospective evaluation of myocardial ischemia related to post‐procedural side‐branch stenosis in bifurcated lesions treated by provisional approach with drug‐eluting stents

Objectives: To prospectively assess the impact of post-procedural side-branch (SB) stenosis on inducible myocardial ischemia in patients with bifurcated lesions undergoing percutaneous interventions. Background: Provisional-stenting with drug-eluting stents (DES) is the recommended strategy to treat percutaneously bifurcated lesions but is associated to variable degrees of residual SB stenosis. The role of SB residual stenosis on post-procedural myocardial ischemia is uncertain. Methods: Patients with bifurcations treated by DES according to provisional-stenting technique were enrolled in the study if they had no other untreated lesion. Patients were divided into two groups according to post-procedural 3D-quantitative coronary analysis (3DQCA): group OR (optimal result: stenosis 8 weeks) stress tests (P < 0.001). Conclusions: In patients with bifurcated lesions treated by a provisional-stenting technique, residual SB stenosis ≥ 50% at 3DQCA is associated with post-procedural inducible myocardial ischemia at EST. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.