Revised: November 23, 2013
Accepted: December 13, 2013
Published online: January 26, 2014
Processing time: 135 Days and 11.7 Hours
Several recent reports have described the occurrence of longitudinal stent deformation (LSD, defined as the distortion or shortening of a stent along the longitudinal axis), following its successful deployment. However, few reports have described LSD prior to any stent deployment. This previously unrecognized complication is the result of modifications to stent design. It has been noted that the new-generation stent platforms have a reduced number of connectors, which in turn causes a reduction in longitudinal stent strength. To corroborate previous findings by our lab and others (Vijayvergiya et al, 2013), we describe here two cases of LSD prior to stent deployment that occurred due to crushing of the proximal stent edge by the guide catheter while attempting to withdraw the crimped stent. In addition, we discuss the associated risk factors, such as the length of the stent, and specific management strategies, including technical guidelines and use of fluoroscopic guidance for maneuvering the stent during the procedure.
Core tip: We describe here two cases of longitudinal stent deformation before deployment. This report corroborates the findings previously made by us and others (Vijayvergiya et al, 2013) and emphasizes the risk of physical distortion of the stent prior to deployment. We also discuss specific risk factors of and management strategies for this unusual complication.