Long-Term Clinical Outcome of a Single Stent Approach With and Without a Final Kissing Balloon Technique for Coronary Bifurcation – Subanalysis of the TAXUS Japan Postmarket Surveillance Study –
oronary bifurcation has been regarded as one of the most challenging lesion subsets due to poor clinical outcomes compared with non-bifurcated lesions.1 Provisional intervention of the side branch (SB) after main vessel (MV) stenting is now the standard approach for most bifurcations.2,3 Although the final kissing balloon technique (FKB) has been established as the first-line strategy for bifurcations treated with an elective 2-stent approach,4,5 its efficacy in a 1-stent approach is presently under debate.6,7 Randomized trials showed no benefit of FKB in a 1-stent approach;8,9 however, the long-term clinical outcome remains unclear as limited data is currently available.6,10 The purpose of the present study is to: (1) investigate the long-term outcomes after a 1-stent approach with and without FKB; and (2) to ascertain the clinical outcome after cross-over stenting without FKB in comparison with non-bifurcation patients.