Angiographic and clinical outcomes after implantation of drug eluting stents in bifurcation lesions with crush or kissing stent technique.

Background: Long-term outcome after bifurcation stenting with drug-eluting stents (DES) for obstructive coronary artery disease is poorly understood. In this study, we report 6-9-month angiographic follow-up and long-term clinical outcomes after implantation of drug-eluting stents by crush and kissing stent technique for coronary bifurcation lesions.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing bifurcation stenting with DES by crush or kissing stent technique were enrolled in a prospective registry. Angiographic follow-up was obtained at 6-9 months and clinical follow-up completed for a median of 38 months.

Results: A total of 86 patients participated in the study. Bifurcation stenting by crush technique was performed in 73 (85%) and by kissing stent in 13 (15%) patients. Stenting of left main bifurcation was applied in 24 (28%) patients. Angiographic follow-up was completed in 75 (87%) patients and showed restenosis in the main for 8 (11%) and side branch for 20 (27%) patients. Clinical follow-up was available for a median duration of 38 months. During follow-up, 2 (2%) patients died, 4 (5%) experienced myocardial infarction (MI), and 11 (13%) underwent target vessel revascularization (TVR) with an overall major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rate of 16%. In left main cohort, angiographic restenosis occurred in 9 (37%) patients, and 3 (12%) patients required TVR. There were no deaths or stent thrombosis. A comparison of crush and kissing stent technique showed significantly higher angiographic restenosis with crush (26% vs 13% in kissing stent patients, P = 0.046) and 95% of restenosis in crush group involved ostium of the side branch. There was no difference in clinical outcomes between the crush and kissing stent groups. Final kissing balloon dilatation (FKB) was successful in 65 (89%) patients in the crush group and associated with a significant reduction in MACE (8% in FKB successful vs 37% in FKB unsuccessful, P = 0.04) during follow-up.

Conclusion: Bifurcation stenting with crush or kissing stent technique is safe and associated with a low rate of TLR and MACE on long-term follow-up. Crush stenting is associated with a significantly higher rate of side branch restenosis compared to kissing stent technique. FKB is associated with significant reduction in MACE during follow-up.