The miracle of IVUS for unforeseen stent thrombosis: A case report

Stent thrombosis is a serious complication with high morbidity and mortality rates resulting in cardiac death or nonfatal myocardial infarction that occurs following stent placement during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Stent underexpansion or malapposition are avoidable risk factors for stent thrombosis. Sufficient postdilation should be considered to mitigate this risk, especially with the guidance of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). We present the case of a 60-year-old man developing a thrombotic lesion inside a stent 2 weeks after PCI for Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI), which was strongly related to stent underexpansion and malapposition. This case highlights the importance of IVUS in evaluating procedural success, particularly in assessing stent expansion and apposition.