RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Among the two stent strategies, contemporary evidence favors double kissing crush technique (DKC) for complex unprotected distal left main bifurcation (UdLMB) lesions. However one of the major challenges to these lesions is side branch (SB) restenosis. AIMS: Our aim was to identify optical coherence tomographic (OCT) characteristics that may predict SB restenosis (SBR) after UdLMB angioplasty using DKC technique. METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective study that included 60 patients with complex UdLMB disease, who underwent OCT-guided angioplasty using DKC technique. Angiographic follow-up was performed in all patients at 1 year to identify patients with SBR. Patients with SBR group were compared with patients without SBR (NSBR group) for OCT parameters during index procedure. RESULTS: Twelve (20%) patients developed SBR at 1-year follow-up. The SBR group had longer SB lesion (18.8 ± 3.2 vs. 15.3 ± 3.7 mm, p = 0.004) and neo-metallic carinal length (2.1 vs. 0.1 mm, p < 0.001) when compared to the NSBR group. Longer neo-metallic carinal length was associated with the absence of the dumbbell sign, presence of hanging stent struts across the SB ostium on OCT of final MB pullback. On multivariate regression analysis, SB distal reference diameter (DRD) and SB stent expansion were identified as independent predictors of SBR with SB-DRD of ≤2.8 mm (area under curve-0.73, sensitivity-83.3%, and specificity-62.5%) and SB stent expansion of ≤89% (area under curve-0.88, sensitivity-83.3%, and specificity- 81.2%) as the best cut off values to predict SBR. CONCLUSIONS: SB DRD and SB stent expansion are the OCT predictors of future SBR after UdLMB angioplasty using DKC technique.