Association of peri-procedural myocardial infarction with mortality after stenting true coronary bifurcation lesions: A pooled individual participant data analysis from four randomized controlled trials

Definitions and Standardized Endpoints for Treatment of Coronary Bifurcations

The Bifurcation Academic Research Consortium (Bif-ARC) project originated from the need to overcome the paucity of standardization and comparability between studies involving bifurcation coronary lesions. This document is the result of a collaborative effort between academic research organizations and the most renowned interventional cardiology societies focused on bifurcation lesions in Europe, the United States, and Asia. This consensus provides standardized definitions for bifurcation lesions; the criteria to judge the side branch relevance; the procedural, mechanistic, and clinical endpoints for every type of bifurcation study; and the follow-up methods. Considering the complexity of bifurcation lesions and their evaluation, detailed instructions and technical aspects for site and core laboratory analysis of bifurcation lesions are also reported. The recommendations included within this consensus will facilitate pooled analyses and the effective comparison of data in the future, improving the clinical relevance of trials in bifurcation lesions, and the quality of care in this subset of patients.

Provisional stenting with side branch rescue stenting is associated with increased 3-year target lesion failure in patients with acute coronary syndrome and coronary bifurcation lesions

Background

Provisional stenting (PS) is the main treatment for a majority of coronary bifurcation lesion and includes PS with 1-stent and PS with 2-stent. However, the treatment difference between PS with 1-stent and with 2-stent remains unclear in patients with the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and coronary bifurcation lesions.

Materials and methods

Overall, 820 ACS patients with Medina 1,1,1 or 0,1,1 coronary bifurcation lesion who had completed 3-year follow-up were included and assigned to the PS with 1-stent (n = 519) or the PS with 2-stent (n = 301) according to the use of final stenting technique. The primary endpoint was the target lesion failure (TLF) at 3 years since stenting procedures.

Results

At 3-year follow-up, TLF occurred in 85 (16.4%) patients in the PS with 1-stent group and 69 (22.9%) in the PS with 2-stent group (hazard ratio [HR] 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–2.17, p = 0.021), mainly driven by a higher rate of target lesion revascularization (TLR) in the PS with 2-stent group (13.0% vs. 8.3%, HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.04–2.61, p = 0.033). Complex bifurcations, side branch (SB) pretreatment, intravascular imaging guidance, and hyperlipidemia were the four predictors for 3-year TLF. SB pretreatment was associated with increased 3-year TLR, leading to an extremely higher 3-year TLF.

Conclusion

Provisional with 2-stent for patients with ACS is associated with a higher rate of 3-year TLF, mainly due to increased requirement of revascularization. SB pretreatment should be avoided for simple bifurcation lesion.

Definitions and Standardized Endpoints for Treatment of Coronary Bifurcations

The Bifurcation Academic Research Consortium (Bif-ARC) project originated from the need to overcome the paucity of standardization and comparability between studies involving bifurcation coronary lesions. This document is the result of a collaborative effort between academic research organizations and the most renowned interventional cardiology societies focused on bifurcation lesions in Europe, the United States, and Asia. This consensus provides standardized definitions for bifurcation lesions; the criteria to judge the side branch relevance; the procedural, mechanistic, and clinical endpoints for every type of bifurcation study; and the follow-up methods. Considering the complexity of bifurcation lesions and their evaluation, detailed instructions and technical aspects for site and core laboratory analysis of bifurcation lesions are also reported. The recommendations included within this consensus will facilitate pooled analyses and the effective comparison of data in the future, improving the clinical relevance of trials in bifurcation lesions, and the quality of care in this subset of patients.