October 29, 2013 — OrbusNeich announced the publication of a study demonstrating that lesion preparation with the company’s Scoreflex coronary dilatation catheter prior to drug eluting stent (DES) implantation is associated with equivalent acute stent expansion and less in-stent late loss versus a non-compliant balloon. The study was published in World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases.
In-stent late loss as determined by quantitative coronary angiography for patients pre-dilated with a dual wire scoring balloon (Scoreflex) was 0.23 ± 0.52 mm versus 0.71 ± 0.63 mm for patients treated with a non-compliant balloon (p = 0.03). Follow-up angiography was performed at nine months following initial coronary intervention in 17 patients from the Scoreflex group and in 16 patients from the non-compliant balloon group.
No significant differences in stent expansion between the two groups were observed, although the balloon size was larger (3.33 ± 0.28 mm versus 3.09 ± 0.33 mm, p = 0.01) and the maximal dilation pressure for pre-dilation was higher (11.6 ± 3.2 atm versus 8.6 ± 2.7 atm, p < 0.01) for the non-compliant balloon group. Two patients pre-dilated with a non-compliant balloon required target lesion revascularization (TLR) whereas there was no TLR in the Scoreflex group. In general, no significant difference in major adverse cardiac event rates was observed.
“Pre-dilation with Scoreflex prior to DES implantation may be a more feasible strategy than conventional ballooning because it is less traumatic while associated with equivalent stent expansion,” said Kenji Sadamatsu, M.D., Saga-ken Medical Centre Koseikan, Saga, Japan, corresponding author of the publication. “The observed reduction in late loss for the Scoreflex group suggests that this novel semi-compliant balloon may have additional long-term advantages, particularly for severely stenotic lesions.”
The study included 46 consecutive patients with de novo lesions in native coronary arteries ? 2.5 mm in angiographic diameter who underwent elective DES implantation under intravascular ultrasound guidance. The patients were equally and randomly assigned to pre-dilation with a non-compliant balloon (Hiryu, Terumo, Tokyo) or to pre-dilation with Scoreflex. Major adverse cardiac events were defined as a composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, TLR and stent thrombosis.
For more information: www.orbusneich.com, www.scirp.org
June 13, 2024 
