title: Provisional stenting in small vessels.
abstract: Based on the currently available data, the strategy of routine stent placement in unselected lesions located in small coronary arteries provides good immediate results but is still associated with a high incidence of in-stent restenosis. Randomized trials comparing elective stenting with balloon angioplasty have not provided the demonstration that routine stenting is the best strategy for percutaneous intervention in coronary arteries with a reference diameter smaller than 2.75-3.0 mm. This paper describes the rationale for provisional stenting in this clinical setting and reviews the role of quantitative coronary angiography, intracoronary ultrasound and intracoronary Doppler measurements in the identification of lesions that would benefit from adjunctive stent placement after balloon angioplasty and in guiding stent implantation.
authors.affiliation: Interventional Cardiology Unit, Columbus Clinic and San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Airoldi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Mario
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stankovic
authors.forename: Remo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Albiero
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colombo