Research Article: The Significance of Coronary Artery Calcification for Percutaneous Coronary Interventions
Abstract:
The prevalence of calcium deposits in coronary arteries grows with age. Risk factors include, e.g., diabetes and chronic kidney disease. There are several underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of calcium deposition. Severe calcification increases the complexity of percutaneous coronary interventions. Invasive techniques to modify the calcified atherosclerotic plaque before stenting have been developed over the last years. They include balloon- and non-balloon-based techniques. Rotational atherectomy has been the most common technique to treat calcified lesions but new techniques are emerging (orbital atherectomy, intravascular lithotripsy, laser atherectomy). The use of intravascular imaging (intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography) is especially important during the procedures in order to choose the optimal strategy and to assess the final effect of the procedure. This review provides an overview of the role of coronary calcification for percutaneous coronary interventions.
Introduction:
Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a serious problem in the aging population. Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in heavily calcified lesions pose a major challenge due to technical difficulties and possibly impair both short- and long-term outcomes. The presence of coronary artery calcification is age-dependent, thus, the number and complexity of PCI procedures grows with age. The accumulation of calcium in the arterial wall typically starts after the age of 40 and its prevalence gradually increases…
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