[Use of sirolimus-eluting stents in complex lesions: clinical and angiographic follow-up]

The RAVEL and SIRIUS studies have demonstrated important reductions in clinical and angiographic restenosis in lesions treated with sirolimus-eluting stents. However, inclusion criteria in both studies excluded complex lesions. We studied immediate and long-term results with this stent in these complex lesions.

Prospective, observational study with clinical and angiographic follow-up of patients who met the exclusion criteria used in the RAVEL and SIRIUS studies. All patients were treated in our catheterization laboratory between June 2002 and April 2003 with the Cypher stent, and 57 patients (68 lesions) were studied in all. The most frequent lesion characteristics were excessive length 26.5%; ostial lesions 25%, bifurcations 23.5%, and severe calcifications 22.1%. Almost half (47%) of the patients had diabetes and 68% had multivessel disease.

PTCA was successful in all patients. There was one major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) before discharge (1 acute Q-wave myocardial infarction). Two episodes of subacute thrombosis occurred during the first week. During long-term clinical follow-up (8.7 [3.1] months) of all patients, there were 4 MACE (7%): 1 cardiac death, 1 acute myocardial infarction and 2 revascularizations of the target vessel. Intersegmental restenosis was observed by angiography in 4 lesions (8%).

Implantation of the Cypher stent in complex lesions is safe and is associated, after 6 months of follow-up, with a low incidence of clinical events and a very low percentage of angiographic restenosis.