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Posts Tagged ‘left main stenting’

A new stent design for Left main ostial lesion !

Posted in Cardiology - Animations, Cardiology -Emerging technology, Cardiology -Interventional -PCI, cath lab tips and tricks, Left main stenting -Tips and tricks, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Left main ostial lesion remains a  challenging task .A new stent design is  proposed here.

The lesion

Left main ostial stenting lesion003

The hardware 

left main ostial coronary stent drsvenkatesan

The technique

Left main ostial stenting lesion002

Final message

This thought came  when I  recently encountered a patient with a left main ostial  stent which was projecting well into aortic root .It is an open access patency ,whoever is capable of converting this idea  to a clinically applicable technique is welcome to proceed !

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What is double barrel stenting ?

Posted in Cardiology -Interventional -PCI, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 13, 2011| Leave a Comment »

  • It is a complex PCI procedure meant for  high risk  bifurcation /Trifurcation lesions
  • Two stents are simultaneously  deployed.
  • It aims to prevent sudden acute occlusion of one of the major  branches .
  • It is not an easy procedure , and be used only in rare circumstances .
  • Distal left main and ostio proximal LAD/LCX  is a  classical  example.
  • Navigation can be difficult , only well experienced operators should attempt it.

*Is there a ready made two lumen stent available ?

The image is meant for concept purpose only !

 

It is one of the techniques available to stent unprotected left main

An excellent review  in  ACC intervention journal for unprotected left main .

Click on the Image to reach the article

 


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Some thoughts about left main disease : Why CABG will always prevail over PCI in left main disease ?

Posted in cardiac surgery, Cardiology - Clinical, Cardiology -Interventional -PCI, cardiology -Therapeutics, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 6, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Why PCI  in   left main CAD is considered  an inferior modality than CABG ?

CABG is superior to PCI for the  simple reason it provides complete revascularisation virtually in all  patients with LMCAD , while PCI is possible only in a fraction of patients with LMCAD.

If  we take 100 patients  with left main  disease may be ten (At best !)   would be  suitable for PCI ! In other words PCI is contraindicated in vast majority of LMCAD  by technical criteria alone , while there can never be a contraindication for CABG in patients with LMCAD.(Except  when , comorbidity precludes surgery )

Why  PCI in  LMCAD difficult ?

It is  dependent on  technicalities

CABG does not tackle a lesion,  it simply avoids it  and by passes it ” No great brains required”

while PCI takes on the plaque frontally ,  in the dangerous  terrain of  left main artery  itself !

so,  much caution,  planing ,  logistics are required . Further ,  if there is a complication there is a potential

for catastrophe  as the only  supply line is cut off . This is the reason , cardiologists were worried to try this on

unprotected left main. (Protected LMCAD refers to left main disease following CABG  wherein atleast   LAD or LCX is  grafted )

Points to ponder in LMCAD

  • PCI is suited for isolated discrete LM disease.In realty  this is seen in less  than 5-8 % CAD.
  • LMCAD is very often associated  with  critical and multivessel distal CAD . So these patients will be candidates for CABG.
  • Left main ostium or LAD ostial  involvement makes PCI a tougher exercise
  • Calcification is more common in LMCAD that  again makes PCI difficult.

The following article in Feb 2009 is a major blow for proponents of  PCI for left main

http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/extract/119/7/1013

left-main

http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/abstract/51/5/538?ijkey=84c977d189e84327c3abbd4c1228de17dd99048a&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

Final message

  • Conquering left main disease is an interventionist’s  ultimate dream.
  • But, before that they have  to tackle the bifurcation lesions .This is of vital importance, because 2/3 rd of left main  patients have  some form of bifurcation lesions. Current techniques , hardware  and outcomes are far below the idealistic solutions in bifurcation lesions.
  • Till that time ,  CABG would  remain the only choice for all , but for  a small fraction of isolated  left main disease where PCI may be possible.

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