Coronary angioscopy before and after stent deployment

Coronary angioscopy was used in an attempt to visualize the internal architecture of cardiac vessels before and after deployment of Palmaz-Schatz stents in 50 patients. The vessel was successfully visualized in 48 (96%) of these patients. In 24 patients, angioscopy was performed both after preliminary balloon angioplasty and then again after stent deployment. In all 24 patients the diameter of the lumen appeared larger after stent deployment as compared to after balloon angioplasty. In 16 of these 24 patients a dissection was documented by angioscopy after balloon angioplasty. The dissection was absent after stent deployment in all 16 patients. In seven patients, thrombus that was not apparent by angiography was visualized by angioscopy. Moreover, in four patients, thrombus that was suggested by angiography could not be confirmed by angioscopy.