Multimodality imaging results of TAP versus novel modified TAP stenting in coronary bifurcation: From bench testing to first-in-man investigation

Objectives: We investigated the results of T and small protrusion (TAP) versus a novel modification of TAP (mTAP) stenting by multimodality imaging in bench testing and in patients with coronary bifurcation lesions (CBL).

Background: TAP stenting is a suboptimal technique for bailout side branch (SB) stenting.

Methods: In a bench model, optical coherence tomography (OCT), microscopic examinations (ME), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were performed after TAP and mTAP stenting. In 20 patients with CBL, 80 intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) examinations were performed during mTAP stenting in which the SB stent was pulled-back to indent the inflated main vessel (MV) balloon and deployed while deflating it. For TAP stenting, the tip of the SB stent was positioned in the MV and deployed.

Results: In bench testing, OCT showed neocarina length (NL) was shorter and minimum stent area (MSA) was larger after mTAP versus TAP stenting (2.84 ± 0.70 vs. 4.80 ± 020 mm; 6.75 ± 1.50 vs. 4.5 ± 2.2 mm² ; respectively; p < 0.05). By ME, NL was shorter and shear rate trended lower after mTAP versus TAP stenting. In patients, IVUS showed MSA was larger after versus before mTAP stenting (6.32 ± 0.58 vs. 5.21 ± 0.56 mm² ; p < 0.01); NL was 1.43 ± 0.22 mm with SB ostium coverage. The Seattle Angina questionnaire (SAQ) score was higher at 6 months versus baseline (85 ± 4.0 vs. 48 ± 6.0, respectively; p < 0.001).

Conclusions: This multimodality imaging study showed, for the first time, mTAP stenting resulted in larger stent area and shorter neocarina than TAP stenting in bench testing. In patients with CBL, mTAP stenting led to larger stent area, short neocarina with complete SB ostium coverage, and improved the SAQ score at follow-up.