Treatment of longitudinal stent compression under intravenous ultrasound guidance

RATIONALE: Longitudinal stent compression is a rare phenomenon, which has been increasingly reported in recent years. PATIENT CONCERNS: Following 2 stents implanted into the middle and proximal segments of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, longitudinal stent compression occurred when a post-dilation balloon was introduced into the proximal stent opening. DIAGNOSE: The intravenous ultrasound (IVUS) examination revealed overlapping at the opening of the proximal stent and poor stent adherence. INTERVENTIONS: Another balloon was carefully inserted into the opening for post-dilation, followed by angiography and IVUS examination. OUTCOMES: The IVUS examination indicated that the overlapping at the opening of the proximal stent was improved and the stents were well adhered. LESSONS: Such compression may be prevented by gentle and careful balloon maneuverability and improved with the use of additional balloon angioplasty or stent implantation.