title: Percutaneous therapy of bifurcation lesions with drug-eluting stent implantation: the Culotte technique revisited.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The most effective strategy for bifurcation stenting is currently undefined. The Culotte technique was developed as a method that ensures complete bifurcation lesion coverage. However, it went out of favour due to a high rate of restenosis when utilizing bare metal stents. Drug-eluting stents reduce the rate of restenosis and need for repeat lesion revascularization compared with bare metal stents; we re-evaluated this technique with drug-eluting stent implantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between April 2002 and October 2003, 207 patients were treated for at least one bifurcation lesion with drug-eluting stent implantation to both the main vessel and side branch. Of these, 23 were treated with the Culotte technique (11.1%) for 24 lesions. Sirolimus-eluting stents were used in 8.3%, and paclitaxel-eluting stents in the remaining 92.7%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical follow-up was obtained in 100%. One patient had a myocardial infarction at 14 days (maximum rise in creatine kinase 872 IU/L) related to thrombosis occurring in another lesion, and underwent repeat revascularization. There were no episodes of stent thrombosis in the Culotte lesions. At eight months follow-up, there were no deaths and no further myocardial infarction. One patient required target lesion revascularization (TLR), and a second underwent target vessel revascularization. The cumulative rates of survival-free of TLR and major adverse cardiac events were 94.7% and 84.6% respectively. Angiographic follow-up was obtained in 16 patients (69.6%) at a mean period of 8.3+/-4.3 months. The late lumen loss for the main vessel and side branch were 0.48+/-0.56 mm and 0.53+/-0.33 mm respectively, with binary restenosis rates of 18.8% and 12.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this small study of bifurcation stenting utilizing the Culotte technique with drug-eluting stent implantation, there was a low rate of major adverse events and need for target lesion revascularization at eight months, when compared with historical data of bifurcation stenting with bare metal stents. Further re-evaluation of this technique utilizing drug-eluting stents, is warranted in the setting of larger randomized studies.
authors: Thoraxcenter, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Hoye
authors: Carlos A G
authors: CA
authors: van Mieghem
authors: Andrew T L
authors: AT
authors: Ong
authors: Jiro
authors: J
authors: Aoki
authors: Gaston A
authors: GA
authors: Rodriguez Granillo
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Valgimigli
authors: Keiichi
authors: K
authors: Tsuchida
authors: Georgios
authors: G
authors: Sianos
authors: Eugene P
authors: EP
authors: McFadden
authors: Willem J
authors: WJ
authors: van der Giessen
authors: Pim J
authors: PJ
authors: de Feyter
authors: Ron T
authors: RT
authors: van Domburg
authors: Patrick W
authors: PW
authors: Serruys
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D018570:Risk Assessment; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015607:Stents; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D020123:Sirolimus