Do coronary stents suffer long‐term deterioration after repeated intracoronary lithotripsy for rebel underexpansion treatment?

Abstract

Abstract Coronary intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is the latest developed technique available for stent underexpansion treatment, although it is unclear if this therapy causes stent structure damage. We present the case of a patient with severe, refractory stent underexpansion after primary angioplasty, which was resolved with a double session of IVL. Elective angiographic and optical coherence tomography (OCT) follow‐up was performed 1 year after the procedure, which demonstrated the absence of any damage in the stent platform. Paradoxically, the study revealed a critical restenotic lesion in an area distant from the one of interest. Review of the first OCT after the primary procedure revealed 78% underexpansion in that area, which went by unnoticed and could be the cause of restenosis. Repeated IVL therapy may be helpful in cases of rebel stent underexpansion, and it conveys the impression of being safe in the long term in relation to the integrity and effectiveness of the drug‐eluting coronary stents.

Keywords

• coronary angioplasty
• intracoronary lithotripsy
• optical coherence tomography
• restenosis