Debate: Centering is important

Since the first meetings dedicated to intracoronary radiation for restenosi s prevention, the question of centering has been the subject of many debate s. Today, more animal and clinical data are available, and some very prelim inary conclusions can be drawn. From the radiation dosimetry standpoint, by allowing precise dose prescription, centering will allow the therapeutic w indow to be defined with greater accuracy. Moreover, because centering shou ld lead to a lower dose to the arterial wall and a smaller irradiated volum e compared with uncentered systems, centering could result in a reduction o f radiation-induced complications.