[Synthetic membrane coronary stent graft in coronary disease]

The use of a synthetic membrane-covered stent has been suggested to overcome some specific lesions in coronary arteries and to solve some potential complications that could arise in any procedure of coronary intervention. A synthetic membrane coronary stent graft (JOSTENT-JOMED) is constituted by a membrane of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fixed between two thin metallic stents. In this clinical review of our laboratory's experience, the Jostent graft was used in several angiographic circumstances in coronary arteries or in vein grafts. Our clinical experience consists of 17 patients that were treated with placement of PTFE stents for different indications: coronary rupture in two patients; thrombus and degenerative vein grafts in eight patients, coronary aneurysms in four patients, and thrombus in coronary arteries in three more. Our clinical results with this device suggest that its implant is feasible and safe with a clinical success of 100% without complications during in-hospital stay; during the clinical 11 +/- 3 months follow-up, only three patients exhibited major cardiac events. The indication for PTFE stent in vein grafts with degenerative and thrombus lesions has not been determined yet; however, recently, some randomized trials have shown little benefit in this circumstance. On the other side, coronary vessel rupture and coronary aneurysms are currently the most definitive indications.