Intentional longitudinal and side-cell stent fractures: Intermediate term follow up

Use of small diameter stents in young children and jailing of side branches pose significant challenges to future re-interventions. We sought to assess the capacity to induce longitudinal fractures in undersized stents to increase vessel diameter, and side cell fractures to enlarge stenotic jailed branches.

Retrospective review of patients who underwent attempted intentional stent fractures (ISF) from 01/06-02/17.

Twenty-two patients, median age 4.4 (1.1-47.8) years, weighing 14.3 (6.9-102) kg underwent attempted ISF in 32 vessels. Initial stent implant occurred at a median age of 1.0 (0.1-34.1) years, at the following sites: pulmonary arteries (11), pulmonary veins (14), systemic veins (6), and aorta (1). Initial diameters of the stents were 3.5-12 mm. Thirteen vessels had overlapping stents. Using high-pressure balloons, longitudinal ISF was achieved in 23 and side cell ISF in eight vessels. One longitudinal ISF attempt was unsuccessful. Three lesions were immediately re-stented after longitudinal ISF, and three lesions treated with angioplasty (1) or stenting (2) after side cell ISF. Only one complication occurred (pseudoaneurysm in a pulmonary artery after longitudinal ISF requiring placement of a covered stent). At a median follow up of 2.0 years (2 days - 10.8 years), eight patients had 16 additional interventions for restenosis at site of ISF.

ISF can be induced safely in a variety of vascular beds using high-pressure balloons both longitudinally or through side cells. Longitudinal ISF only rarely requires immediate placement of a new stent; however, late restenosis may occur, requiring re-stenting.