Abstract
BACKGROUND: Intravascular imaging (IVI) complements coronary angiography and may help prevent coronary artery perforation (CAP) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). OBJECTIVES: The authors evaluated whether IVI-guided PCI is associated with a lower risk of PCI-related CAP in a real-world cohort. METHODS: This observational study analyzed consecutive PCI procedures from January 2006 to October 2023. The procedures were divided into 4 groups according to the year performed: 2006 to 2010 (P1), 2011 to 2015 (P2), 2016 to 2020 (P3), and 2021 to 2023 (P4). We evaluated the trend of IVI-guided PCI and the incidence of CAP. A mixed effects logistic model was employed to assess their relationship. RESULTS: CAP occurred in 368 (1.6%) of 22,368 PCIs. IVI-guided PCI accounted for 63% of all cases, of which 95% were intravascular ultrasound procedures. From P1 to P3, the ratio of IVI-guided PCI increased linearly (P1: 30%, P2: 61%, P3: 93%, P4: 97%), while the incidence of CAP decreased (P1: 2.10%, P2: 1.74%, P3: 1.13%, P4: 1.18%). IVI-guided PCI showed a significant association with a lower risk of the overall incidence of CAP (adjusted OR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.61-0.99; P = 0.047). This relationship was particularly significant for chronic total occlusion PCI (adjusted OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.43-0.80; P = 0.001) and PCI for moderate or severe calcification (adjusted OR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.33-0.74; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: IVI-guided PCI may help prevent PCI-related CAP, especially in the setting of chronic total occlusion PCI and PCI for moderate or severe calcification.