Influence of balloon size and stenosis morphology on immediate and delayed elastic recoil after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

After successful coronary angioplasty, the minimal luminal diameter of the dilated coronary artery segment is generally smaller than the diameter of the largest balloon catheter at the maximal inflation pressure. The determinants of this phenomenon were studied in 28 patients. Biplane angiograms were obtained after intracoronary administration of isosorbide dinitrate (1 mg) before, immediately and 24 h after coronary angioplasty. Balloon and coronary luminal diameters were measured by automated contour detection. Immediately after the procedure, the difference between inflated balloon diameter and minimal luminal diameter averaged 0.93 ± 0.43 mm for the entire group and was greater both in eccentric stenoses (1.13 ± 0.39 vs. 0.70 ± 0.36 mm; p < 0.01) and after angioplasty with an oversized balloon (1.20 ± 0.37 vs. 0.71 ± 0.33 mm; p < 0.005). At 24 h, the balloon - minimal luminal diameter difference was unchanged at the group level (0.86 ± 0.38 mm), but the minimal luminal diameter increased significantly in the subgroup of coronary segments dilated with an oversized balloon (1.97 ± 0.37 vs. 1.81 ± 0.28 mm; p < 0.05). Thus, the difference between the minimal diameter of a dilated coronary segment immediately after a successful coronary balloon angioplasty procedure and the maximal diameter of the inflated balloon catheter is dependent both on eccentricity of the stenosis and on the balloon/artery diameter ratio. Moreover, the increase in minimal luminal diameter 24 h after angioplasty performed with an oversized balloon suggests that in addition lo elastic recoil, partly reversible factors related to vessel barotrauma are involved.