Placing stents in branching, calcified or tortuous coronary narrowings with specialized techniques, instead of bypass surgery.
- Who it is forBifurcation (branching), calcified and tortuous (winding) artery narrowings
- HowWith new stent techniques, rotablation and specialized wires
- AlternativeAn alternative to bypass surgery for patients with a low risk score
What is a complex narrowing?
Until recent years, bypass surgery was the only option for treating complex coronary narrowings (bifurcation – branching arteries, calcified arteries, tortuous – winding arteries, etc.).
How is it treated?
New stent techniques, certain devices used inside the artery such as the rotablator (which clears away calcium), and specialized wires have made it possible to place stents in complex arteries as well. For patients with a low risk score, stenting has now become an alternative to bypass surgery, and for some patients even a better option.
Why does experience matter?
Because stenting complex arteries requires special equipment and techniques, and carries a higher risk than standard procedures, it should be performed by experienced hands at experienced centers.
Case example: bifurcation narrowing
1 A complex narrowing: a long lesion in the mid LAD artery where two side branches arise, with a further narrowing at the opening of one side branch. 
2 Three wires are placed into the three branching arteries so that all three can be treated at the same time. 
3 The complex narrowing was opened by placing a long stent in the mid LAD and a short stent at the opening of the side branch, in a bifurcation configuration.
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Aksoy took part in founding the Department of Cardiology at Gaziantep University in 2000 and served as its Head; today he performs angiography and interventional procedures at Medical Point Gaziantep Hospital.
Biography
