COMPLEX CORONARY ARTERY LESIONS

Course overview

CONTEMPORARY TREATMENT OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IS HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION (PCI) ALONG WITH MEDICAL MANAGEMENT. PCI TECHNIQUES HAVE ADVANCED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER TIME AND ARE USED TO STENT EVEN DIFFICULT LESIONS. THERE ARE, HOWEVER, SOME LESIONS THAT PRESENT CHALLENGES VIA THE CONVENTIONAL PCI ROUTE. THESE LESIONS, TERMED COMPLEX CORONARY LESIONS, ARE CATEGORIZED AS SUCH BASED UPON VARIOUS ANATOMIC, PHYSIOLOGICAL, OR FUNCTIONAL DIFFICULTIES. SOME OF THESE COMPLEX LESIONS IN CORONARY VESSELS INCLUDE BIFURCATION LESIONS, CALCIFIED LESIONS, CHRONIC TOTAL OCCLUSIONS, UNPROTECTED LEFT MAIN CORONARY ARTERY LESIONS, OSTIAL LESIONS, OR STENOSIS OF THE SAPHENOUS VEIN GRAFT. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE CLINICAL EVALUATION OF COMPLEX CORONARY ARTERY LESIONS AND EXPLAINS THE ROLE OF THE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TEAM IN COORDINATING THE CARE OF THIS CONDITION.