The Impact of Side Branch Predilatation on Procedural and Long-term Clinical Outcomes in Coronary Bifurcation Lesions Treated by the Provisional Approach

Introduction and objectives

It is uncertain whether side branch predilatation before main vessel stenting is necessary. We evaluated the effect of side branch predilatation on outcomes in percutaneous coronary intervention for true nonleft main bifurcation determined by the Medina classification using the provisional approach.

Methods

Target vessel failures (composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization) were compared between patients who underwent side branch predilatation (predilatation group, n = 175) and those who did not (nonpredilatation group, n = 662).

Results

Final kissing-balloon inflation (57.1% vs 35.8%; P < .001) was performed more frequently and the cross-over rate to a 2-stent technique (14.9% vs 5.1%; P < .001) was higher in the predilatation group. During a median follow-up of 21 months, the predilatation group had a higher incidence of target vessel failures (14.3% vs 6.8%; P = .002) and target vessel revascularization (12.0% vs 5.6%; P = .003), but not of cardiac death or myocardial infarction compared with the nonpredilatation group. On multivariate analysis, side branch predilatation was associated with a higher occurrence of target vessel failures (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-3.50; P = .004). These results remained consistent after a propensity score-matched population analysis (for target vessel failures, adjusted hazard ratio = 2.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-6.34; P = .0031) and they were also constant among the various subgroups, according to the bifurcation angle, calcification, and diameter stenosis of the side branch.

Conclusions

Side branch predilatation before main vessel stenting may be associated with an increased risk of repeat revascularization in patients with true nonleft main bifurcation treated by the provisional approach.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT00851526.