Experience with paclitaxel-eluting Infinnium coronary stents

To investigate the safety and efficacy of the Infinnium Paclitaxel-eluting stents in the treatment of coronary artery lesions, 196 patients with symptomatic coronary disease who received 202 stents at our center from January 2004 to November 2005 were studied prospectively. The primary study endpoint was the incidence of abnormalities on exercise electrocardiograms or cardiac single-photon emission tomography at 6 months, as a noninvasive index of stent reocclusion. Secondary endpoints were the rates of major adverse cardiac events at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Stent deployment was successful in 98% of patients. Cumulative major adverse cardiac event rates at the end of 12 months were: cardiac death 1%, myocardial infarction 5% (Q-wave 2.5%, non-Q-wave 2.5%), and repeat revascularization of the stented lesion 3%. The overall major adverse cardiac event rate was 8.1%. There were 6 (3%) stent thromboses; all occurred late after the procedure. In patients with symptomatic ischemic heart disease, the low-cost Infinnium stent proved both effective and safe, with an acceptably low major adverse cardiac event rate.