Clinical Medicine Insights: Cardiology

Calcified coronary lesions are challenging to deal with, as they require optimal lesion preparation. Direct stenting in this scenario is associated with risk of stent-underexpansion, which is related to in-stent restenosis, target lesion revascularization and stent-thrombosis. We report on the interventional management of an underexpanded bare-metal stent not amenable to high-pressure balloon dilation and cutting-balloon. By using rotablation we could abrade the underexpanded stent struts and the calcification with subsequent implantation of a drug-eluting stent. Follow-up of 6 months revealed good results without evidence of significant restenosis. Our clinical experience and case reports in the literature suggest that this strategy might be an option for underexpanded stents not amenable to conventional techniques.