The POT balloon (BrosMed, China) is a dedicated noncompliant postdilatation balloon. Usually, noncompliant postdilatation balloons have shoulders measuring 3.2 mm, the shoulder being the distance from the balloon’s radiopaque marker to its tip. In this balloon, the extra short shoulder, measuring 0.6 mm, allows the device and the operator to remain within the stent, reducing the risk of proximal or distal vessel dissection when the stent is postdilated. It allows controlled postdilatation within the stent.
The balloon, with a diameter of 3 mm, has an entry profile of 0.015 to 0.020 mm and a crossing profile of 0.027 to 0.032 mm. These dimensions are excellent compared to what is already on the market. Worthy of note is the balloon’s low compliance, around 0.1 mm, with a rated burst pressure of 22 atm. The balloon measures between 2.25 and 5 mm in diameter and 6 to 15 mm in length. It is indeed a very useful device for bifurcations.
Keywords: Complex percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary bifurcation, stent postdilation, proximal optimization technique, stent, side-branch, malapposition.
