Percutaneous therapy of coronary bifurcated lesions is associated with greater risk of acute complications and late restenosis. Numerous innovative techniques using various stent types have been proposed. We report the first clinical use of a truly bifurcated stent (Bard XT Carina). The implantation procedure, favorable medium-term angiographic and 1-year clinical follow-up of the first human use in a 43-year-old female are illustrated with angiography and intravascular ultrasound. As a single prosthesis that effectively covers the bifurcation, this stent presents appealing alternative for the treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions when compared to methods that involve multiple-stent implantation. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 47:361-369, 1999.
Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.