Skip to main content
Intermediate Technical IVT

side branch jail

Compromise of side branch flow following main vessel stenting in bifurcation lesions, potentially requiring rescue intervention.

Full Definition

Side branch jail refers to the acute compromise or occlusion of a side branch vessel following stent deployment in the main vessel of a coronary bifurcation lesion. This phenomenon occurs when stent struts cross the side branch ostium, potentially causing plaque shift, mechanical obstruction, or flow limitation. The term 'jail' aptly describes how the side branch becomes trapped or compromised behind the main vessel stent struts. Management strategies include bailout side branch intervention with kissing balloon technique, side branch stenting, or acceptance if the vessel is small with minimal myocardial territory. Prevention involves careful pre-procedural assessment and consideration of provisional versus planned two-stent strategies.

Usage

Usage note: Hyphenate side-branch when used as compound modifier; 'jail' refers to compromise, not anatomical imprisonment.

In Context

  • "Main vessel stenting resulted in side branch jail requiring bailout intervention." — Procedural complication report
  • "The diagonal vessel showed evidence of side branch jail after LAD stent deployment." — Angiographic assessment

Also known as

side branch compromise branch vessel occlusion

Contrasted with

side branch patency preserved side branch flow

Don't confuse with

side branch dissection snow-plow effect

Editors from these organisations have used our services since 1998

Reuters BBC Oxford University Press Penguin Random House Springer Microsoft Suncor Energy United Nations Fisher Investments IBM The Home Depot KODAK CHEVRON