Coronary Artery Intervention Techniques

Abstract

The topic of coronary artery intervention techniques is very complex. This chapter’s goal is to discuss basic to complex techniques summarized to help coronary operators at all levels to understand the practical aspects of daily coronary interventions using a noncomplex approach. With the revolution of percutaneous cardiovascular and valvular interventions, more patients with complex coronary lesions are treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) over coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Thus, mastering all approaches, techniques of PCI, being comfortable with performing high risk PCIs, and using hemodynamic support devices have become very important. While the basics of coronary interventions have not changed, equipment innovation has a very rapid pace with almost daily additions to the arsenal of coronary interventions, in particular, stent development. Stent therapy for coronary interventions especially in acute coronary syndrome is a proven concept. This created a race to develop a perfect stent that allows for physiological healing of the coronaries and avoid their use in long-term issues. With each addition to the equipment collection comes a learning curve on both technical and clinical evidence aspects, all which make coronary intervention a more specialized and rapidly progressive field.