Comparison of Results Achieved by Different Ballooning Techniques in Bifurcation Stenting

Single-stent strategy with provisional approach represents the gold standard for percutaneous coronary intervention of bifurcation lesions, and, according to European Bifurcation Club, performing provisional approach presents two steps considered as mandatory: "crossover stenting" in main vessel (MV) and subsequent post-dilation or "POT" (proximal optimization technique). While consensus exists regarding these first two steps, the exact optimal following sequence in case of side branch (SB) jeopardize after main vessel stenting is still a matter of debate. Actually, the two most used techniques in this setting are represented by the simultaneous inflation of two balloons located respectively in the MV and SB followed by a second POT (POT/kissing balloon/POT technique) and the isolated inflation of a balloon placed in the SB followed by a second POT (POT/SIDE/POT technique). The objective of this study is to compare the configuration achieved with POT/KISS/POT (PKP) and POT/SIDE/POT (PSP), using the "cutting edge" high-resolution intracoronary imaging modality (Optical Coherence Tomography, OCT).