Abstract
Coronary bifurcation lesions present a challenging lesion subset regarding procedural complexity and worse patient outcomes as compared to simple lesions. Drug eluting stents (DES), as the current standard of care for percutaneous myocardial revascularization, have tubular design and uniform diameter, and therefore, need to be subjected to a standardized set of procedural modifications, to optimally fit and reconstruct underlying bifurcation anatomy. Since contemporary DES have various design platforms, with diverse mechanical properties, we must be aware of the device's favorable characteristics and limitations, to ensure maximal procedural safety and success. This is especially true for bifurcation lesion stenting, during which device integrity will often be eventually tested by undergoing specific procedural steps, such as proximal balloon optimization, kissing-balloon inflations, or even intentional stent crushing. In this review we address the design characteristics of contemporary DES, their bifurcation-specific experimental testing data, and reported clinical results, in an attempt to provide relevant information and help in device selection for bifurcation stenting procedures.