title: Treatment of calcified coronary artery lesions.
abstract: Heavily calcified coronary plaques represent a complex lesion subset and a challenge to the interventional cardiologist, as they are often resistant to simple plaque modification with conventional balloon angioplasty. Inadequate plaque modification can lead to stent underdeployment, which itself predisposes to in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis. Over the years, a number of mechanical devices ranging from modified angioplasty balloons to atherectomy devices have become available in order to tackle such lesions. Here we review these devices concentrating on the evidence behind their use.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust , Hertfordshire , UK.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farag
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust , Hertfordshire , UK.|b Department of Cardiovascular Medicine , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK.
authors.forename: Charis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costopoulos
authors.affiliation: c Faculty of Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London , London , UK.
authors.forename: Diana A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gorog
authors.affiliation: d Department of Cardiology, St George's University Hospitals NHS Trust , London , UK.
authors.forename: Abhiram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust , Hertfordshire , UK.
authors.forename: Manivannan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D017225:Atherectomy, Coronary / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Percutaneous coronary intervention; angioplasty; atherectomy devices; calcified lesions; rotablation