Coronary Stenting in Clinical Practice: Patient Profile, Immediate Outcome, Clinical and Angiographic Follow-up in...

The purpose of this study is to assess immediate outcome and long term results in unselected consecutive patients (pts) representing a spectrum of clinical and angiographic subgroups and stent designs. RESULTS: From first implantation in November 1989 through to October 1995, 243 pts underwent coronary stent insertion (307 stents, males n=188, females n=55, mean age 57.8 years. Palmaz-Schatz stents were implanted in 210 pts, Wiktor in 30 pts, both in 3. Bailout stenting was performed in 11 patients. Overall procedural success was 97%. Complete revascularization was achieved in 155 (64%) patients. Stenting of an infarct-related artery within 6 hours of an acute myocardial infarction was performed in 6 patients, and for unstable angina in 107. Pre-procedure 223 (92%) pts had class III/IV angina. Stenting of 11 vein grafts and 5 left main arteries was performed. Subacute stent thrombosis occurred in 13 (5%) pts while 6 (2.5%) pts died in hospital, and 8 (3%) had a Q-wave myocardial infarction. At a mean (SD) 7.3 (12.9) months follow-up 233 (96%) pts were alive, 213 (91%) had no or mild angina. Angiographic follow-up in 201 (83%) pts at 19 (30) weeks showed a 13% in stent restenosis rate. CONCLUSIONS: In an unselected, consecutive series of patients undergoing coronary stenting, mortality was low, procedural success was high and late clinical and angiographic results were satisfactory. Subacute stent thrombosis, though uncommon remains a challenge.