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Updated: Sep 30, 2026
A Murine Model of Stent Implantation in the Carotid Artery for the Study of Restenosis
Published on: May 14, 2013
Long-term clinical outcomes after coronary angioplasty using long stents in small coronary vessels
Gian Battista Danzi1, Marco Sesana, Cinzia Capuano
1Catheterization Laboratory, Poliambulanza Hospital, Brescia, Italy. gbdanzi@mail.com
Insights
Coronary stenting in small vessels showed similar procedural success with short or long stents. While longer stents had a trend towards more revascularization, long-term survival was equivalent.
Area of Science:
- Interventional Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Research
- Medical Device Technology
Background:
- Coronary stenting in small vessels (< 2.5 mm) and long lesions presents challenges.
- The optimal stent length for these complex cases remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare procedural, in-hospital, and long-term clinical outcomes of short versus long coronary stents in small vessels.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 252 patients undergoing single stent implantation in small coronary vessels.
- Patients were divided into short stent (≤ 16 mm) and long stent (≥ 18 mm) groups.
- Outcomes assessed included procedural success, major adverse cardiac events, and target vessel revascularization.
Main Results:
- Procedural success rates were similar (98.4% vs. 97.6%).
- In-hospital adverse events were comparable between groups (1.6% vs. 2.4%).
- At follow-up, mortality and myocardial infarction rates were similar, but target vessel revascularization trended higher in the long stent group (21.7% vs. 13.9%).
Conclusions:
- Single short or long stents in small coronary vessels achieve similar procedural success.
- Despite a trend towards increased revascularization with longer stents, 2-year event-free survival was equivalent.
Abstract:
The role of coronary stenting in challenging situations, such as small vessels and long lesions, remains controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the procedural, in-hospital, and long-term clinical outcomes of patients undergoing angioplasty with long stents in small coronary vessels. We evaluated the procedural success rate and clinical outcomes in 252 consecutive subjects treated by means of the implantation of a single coronary stent in vessels with a mean reference diameter of < 2.5 mm; 128 patients received a short stent (< or = 16 mm) and 124 a long stent (> or = 18 mm). Lesion morphology was more complex in patients treated with long stents (P < 0.05). The mean stent length was 14 +/- 2 mm in the short-stent group and 25 +/- 3 mm in the long-stent group (P < 0.001). The overall procedural success rate (98.4% vs. 97.6%; P = NS) and the rate of major in-hospital adverse events (death, acute myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization; 1.6% vs. 2.4%; P = NS) was similar in the two groups. After 11.7 +/- 7 months of follow-up, there was no difference in the incidence of mortality and myocardial infarction (5% vs. 6.6%; P = NS), but revascularization tended to occur more frequently in the patients treated with long stents (21.7% vs. 13.9%; P = NS). In conclusion, the procedural success rate of single short or long stents in small coronary vessels was similar. Although the incidence of target vessel revascularization tended to be higher in the patients treated with longer stents, 2-year event-free survival was equivalent in the two groups (65% vs. 70%; P = NS).
