ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION A large armamentarium of medical devices is available for the percutaneous treatment of a variety of coronary atherosclerosis lesions. This chapter describes several aspects related to the biological components of the atherosclerotic plaque and the rationale, clinical evidence, and indications for different interventional devices. The scope of this chapter will range from devices that prepare very hard atherosclerotic plaques prior to stenting, for example, rotational atherectomy, to devices that are either used to remove very soft, friable, or thrombotic lesions, such as thrombectomy, or those preventing distal embolization during the intervention by temporary vessel occlusion or filter placement.
