Data to Delivery: CHIP-BCIS3 — Microaxial Flow Pump Support for High-Risk Complex PCI

CathMasters host Dr. Li Pang, member of the CardioNerds Interventional Cardiology Council, and expert faculty Dr. Saraschandra Vallabhajosyula discuss the landmark CHIP-BCIS3 trial (Controlled Trial of High-Risk Coronary Intervention with Percutaneous Left Ventricular Unloading), published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2026.

Using a representative case of an 84-year-old man with ischemic cardiomyopathy (LVEF 25%), NSTEMI, and severe multivessel calcified coronary artery disease requiring left main bifurcation PCI and calcium modification in a left-dominant coronary system, the episode walks through the background evidence gap, trial design, key results, limitations, and practical implications for interventional cardiologists managing complex high-risk indicated PCI (CHIP). The discussion contextualizes CHIP-BCIS3 within the broader landscape of mechanical circulatory support trials, including BCIS-1, PROTECT II, DanGer Shock, and the upcoming PROTECT IV.