An established frontier for calcific plaque modification

Abstract

Background: Coronary artery calcification is often found in patients with severe coronary artery disease. It is often regarded as one of the difficult frontiers to conquer in coronary stenting. Higher the coronary artery calcium score, the more challenging it is to modify the plaque prior to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is an evolving technology that utilizes acoustic shockwaves to create calcium fractures specifically disrupting both shallow and deep deposits of calcium in the intima and the media of coronary arteries