The impact of the bifurcation angle for the Nano-Crush two-stent coronary bifurcation technique on long-term outcomes in a real-world clinical population

Aim This study aims to assess the direct impact of bifurcation angle (BA) on immediate procedural outcomes and patient prognosis post-Nano-Crush stenting for coronary bifurcation lesions. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted for all consecutive patients treated with the Nano-Crush technique across two high-volume interventional centers from January 2020 to October 2022. Primary endpoint: comparison of target lesion failure rate in two cohorts based on bifurcation angle (<70° vs. ≥70°), with secondary endpoints including side branch ostium coverage, rate of successful final kissing balloon inflation (FKBI), need for conversion to another technique, and procedure length. Results Baseline demographics included 71 patients in the BA<70° group and 49 in the BA≥70° group, with well-balanced characteristics (Table 1). Angiographic characteristics (Table 2) revealed similar trends, including anatomic and morphological lesion characteristics (referencing Syntax score, Medina classification, and presence of calcifications). Both groups predominantly had complex coronary disease, with a baseline mean Syntax score of 24.18 ± 8.19 in the BA<70° group and 23.91 ± 7.29 in the BA≥70° group, respectively. A dedicated debulking device for lesion preparation was used in 25.35 % of patients in the first group and in 28.57 % of patients in the second group.The primary endpoint occurred in 5.63 % of patients in the BA<70° group and in 4.08 % of patients in the BA≥70° group (P = 0.7014) after >2 years of clinical follow-up. Angiographic success was achieved in 100 % of both groups, with procedural time averaging 74.99 ± 25.55 min in the BA≥70° and 76.94 ± 27.81 min in the BA<70° (P = 0.6922). The rate of successful final kissing balloon inflation was 98.59 % in the BA<70° group and 95.91 % in the BA≥70° group (P = 0.3566). The mean contrast volume was 189.54 ± 73.74 ml in BA<70° and 168.9 ± 62.77 ml in BA≥70° (P = 0.1126). Clinical follow-ups at 30 days and 2 years revealed similar outcomes and complications for each group, as summarized in Table 3. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that the bifurcation angle does not significantly impact long-term clinical outcomes or procedural parameters, such as side branch ostium coverage, conversion to a modified DK Crush technique, FKBI success rate, and procedure length. These findings suggest that the Nano-Crush technique can be a viable option for bifurcation lesions, irrespective of the bifurcation angle, achieving optimal side branch ostium coverage while preventing excessive protrusion into the main vessel.