Enter Your Email Address to Receive a
Copy of MedicExhange Member Demograhpics

Fluoroscopic stent boost (SB) imaging could obviate the need for intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guided stent placement in simple coronary lesions, the study was presented at the 33rd Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society for Cardiovascular Angioplasty and Interventions (SCAI).

Solomon Yang, MD, Cornell Campus, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, and colleagues found that 95% of the stents implanted in the study met prespecified, "optimal" criteria.

"We wanted to utilise stent boost technology for type A and type B lesions so that we can bypass the intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) procedure," Dr. Yang told DocGuide on May 7. "As we all know, IVUS is not without complications."

The study tracked and analysed the cases of 16 consecutive patients with 20 lesions. SB images were obtained prior to the final intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and used to guide post-stent dilatation.

Optimal SB image was described as a fully expanded stent without lumen irregularity along the entire axial stent length of the stent. "Optimal stent expansions has been shown to reduce stent thrombosis and restenosis rates," said Dr. Yang during his presentation.

The average stent size in the study was 3.11 +- 0.66 mm and the average length was 17.25 +- 5.6 mm. Mean reference diameter was 3.10 +- 0.63 mm, while diameter stenosis decreased from 73.8% +- 12.7% to 2.7% +- 3.2%.

Intravascular ultrasound was used to analyse a total of 690 frames, showing no evidence of edge dissection, and all stent struts were determined to be fully apposed. Furthermore, average minimal stent cross-sectional area was 6.58 +- 2.5 mm².

At a 30-day follow-up, no patients in the study experienced any adverse cardiac effects.

Dr. Yang did note that this study focused on simple lesions. "In the real world, we encounter lots of complex lesions," he said. As a result, Dr. Yang's group will be focusing on complex lesions and stent boost image processing in their next study.

Source: SCAI

Discuss more about ultrasound in the ultrasound user group.