Effect of intravascular ultrasound-guided adjuvant high-pressure non-compliant balloon post-dilation after drug-eluting stent implantation

Drug-eluting stent (DES) expansion characteristics after aggressive high-pressure post-dilation using a non-compliant (NC) balloon have not been fully investigated. We evaluated 58 patients with native coronary lesions treated with DESs [24 paclitaxel eluting stents (PES) and 34 sirolimus-eluting stents (SES)]. After post-dilation (12–14 atm) using a stent-mounted semi-compliant balloon to reduce stent edge injury, adjuvant high-pressure post-dilation using NC balloon was performed within the stents. Stent size, stent length, and NC balloon size were selected based on preinterventional intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) assessment. Stent underexpansion was defined according to criteria of the Multicenter Ultrasound Stenting in Coronaries (MUSIC) study as a minimal stent cross-sectional area