QFR-Guided Virtual Stenting for Preprocedural Physiological Optimization of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) guided by coronary angiography remains the current standard treatment approach for coronary artery disease. However, angiographic optimization does not necessarily correspond to physiological optimization, and a considerable proportion of patients experience suboptimal post-PCI coronary physiological results, which are associated with increased risks of adverse cardiovascular events.

Quantitative Flow Ratio (QFR)-derived physiological assessment provides a non-wire, angiography-based method for functional evaluation of coronary lesions. Recent developments in virtual stenting technology enable simulation of residual coronary physiology after hypothetical stent implantation, thereby allowing preprocedural prediction of post-PCI QFR and optimization of interventional strategies.

The present study is a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled superiority trial designed to evaluate whether coronary imaging-physiology fusion-based virtual stenting technology for preprocedural physiological optimization improves clinical outcomes compared with conventional angiography-guided PCI.

Approximately 1,472 participants with coronary artery disease undergoing PCI will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either: Virtual stenting-guided PCI optimization; or Standard angiography-guided PCI.

The primary endpoint is 1-year major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven repeat revascularization.

Secondary endpoints include immediate post-PCI physiological optimization, cardiovascular death or nonfatal myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, quality of life assessed by Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) and EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire (EQ-5D), procedural safety, and health economic outcomes.

Participants will be followed at 30 days, 6 months, and 12 months after PCI. The study will also evaluate concordance between predicted post-PCI QFR derived from virtual stenting and actual postprocedural physiological measurements, as well as changes in operator treatment strategies after physiological optimization.

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥18 years.
• Diagnosis of coronary artery disease requiring percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) according to current clinical practice.
• Presence of at least one target coronary lesion considered suitable for PCI and evaluable by angiography-derived Quantitative Flow Ratio (QFR).
• Ability to undergo coronary angiography and PCI. Provision of written informed consent before study participation.

Exclusion criteria

• Contraindications to PCI or inability to undergo coronary intervention. Severe renal dysfunction or other conditions making angiographic procedures unsuitable.
• High bleeding risk judged by investigators.
• Inability to complete follow-up or comply with study procedures.
• Life expectancy less than 1 year due to non-cardiovascular comorbidities.
• Participation in another interventional clinical trial that may interfere with study outcomes.
• Coronary anatomy unsuitable for QFR-based virtual stenting analysis.
• Any condition judged by investigators to make study participation inappropriate.