Treatment of calcified ostial disease by rotational atherectomy and adjunctive cutting balloon angioplasty prior to stent implantation.

Both heavily calcified and ostial lesions are difficult to deal with by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) alone. Acute results are often sub-optimal, complications are more frequent, and long-term results are disappointing. Optimal stent deployment may not be possible unless satisfactory lesion dilatation is achieved and the lesion made more compliant. The use of rotational atherectomy and cutting balloon angioplasty to a calcified ostial lesion in the left circumflex coronary artery prior to stent implantation is reported.