Two Case Reports of Percutaneous Intravascular Lithotripsy for the Treatment of Severe Coronary Artery Calcification.

Source: PubMed, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine

Severe coronary calcification is a common challenge in percutaneous coronary intervention, often resulting in suboptimal stent expansion. Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) employs acoustic pressure waves to fracture calcified plaques and increase procedural success. Two women, aged 85 and 76&#x2009;years, with heavily calcified coronary lesions, underwent IVL prior to stent implantation. Post-procedure intravascular ultrasound confirmed effective calcium modification and optimal stent expansion (<&#x2009;10% residual stenosis). No perioperative complications occurred. Both patients remained symptom-free at the 1-year follow-up.