Heart stent showdown: one branch or two?
NCT ID NCT00376571
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at the best way to use drug-eluting stents (tiny mesh tubes that release medication) in patients with coronary artery disease where the blockage is at a fork (bifurcation). 413 patients were randomly assigned to get stents in both branches of the fork or only in the main branch, with optional treatment of the side branch. The goal was to see which approach reduces the risk of heart-related death, heart attack, stent clotting, or the need for repeat procedures.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- drug-eluting stent
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors choose the safest and most effective stenting strategy for patients with blocked arteries at a fork (bifurcation).
- What could go wrong
- This is a completed Phase 4 trial with 413 patients, so results are already known. The findings may not apply to all types of blockages or newer stents.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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413 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
-
Oct 2004
- Finished
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Mar 2011
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Stable or unstable AP. * Bifurcation lesion of "LAD/diagonal", "Cx/obtuse marginal", "RCA-PDA/posterolateral branch or LM/Cx/LAD in a right dominant system. * Diameter of main vessel by visual estimate \> 2.5 mm. * Diameter of side branch by visual estimate \> 2.0 mm. * Signed informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * ST-elevation AMI within 24 hours. * Expected survival \< 1 year. * S-creatinine \> 200 Umol/l. * Allergy to Aspirin, Clopidogrel or Ticlopidine. * Allergy to sirolimus/paclitaxel. * Left main bifurcation in a non-right dominant system.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Skejby Hospital, University of Aarhus
Aarhus, 8200, Denmark
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