IMPROVED TECHNIQUE FOR USE OF HALF-STENTS REMOUNTED ON A STENT DELIVERY SYSTEM

The use of half-length intracoronary Johnson & Johnson stents has been described in a number of settings, Half-stents are useful for very sh ort lesions, avoidance of bifurcations or side-branches, ostial stenos is, covering gaps between adjacent stents, and for dissection adjacent to stents caused by postdilatation. Previously described methods for use of half-stents have involved bare stents, or significant manipulat ion of either the stent or the delivery sheath for remounted half-sten ts. We describe a method for half-stent preparation and delivery that does not involve distortion of the stent or the delivery sheath, The r isk of stent loss, as can occur with bare stents, is diminished. The g eometry of the stent is preserved since it is not expanded and then re crimped, and the end of the delivery sheath is not flared or distorted , which may interfere with stent delivery. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.