Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 21, 2025
Interventional Diagnostic Procedure: A Practical Guide for the Assessment of Coronary Vascular Function
Published on: March 15, 2022
Pragmatic trial comparing routine versus no routine functional testing in high-risk patients who underwent
Yong-Hoon Yoon1, Jung-Min Ahn2, Do-Yoon Kang2
1Division of Cardiology, Chungnam National University Hospital, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Insights
The POST-PCI trial investigates if routine noninvasive stress testing after high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduces major cardiovascular events. This study aims to determine the best follow-up strategy for these patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Interventional Cardiology
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Drug-eluting stents (DES) have reduced restenosis detection needs in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
- Surveillance for ischemia from restenosis or disease progression remains crucial in high-risk PCI patients.
- The benefit of routine noninvasive functional testing in high-risk PCI follow-up is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of routine noninvasive stress testing versus standard care in high-risk PCI patients.
- To evaluate the impact of different follow-up strategies on major cardiovascular events.
- To provide clinical evidence for optimizing patient management post-PCI.
Main Methods:
- Investigator-initiated, multicenter, prospective randomized trial (POST-PCI study).
- Comparison of routine noninvasive stress testing (at 12 months) versus standard care without routine testing.
- Primary endpoint: composite of death, myocardial infarction, or unstable angina hospitalization at 2 years.
Main Results:
- Over 1700 high-risk PCI patients were randomized.
- Recruitment occurred over 2.0 years across 11 major cardiac centers in Korea.
- Data collection and analysis are ongoing to determine the primary endpoint outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The POST-PCI trial is a pragmatic study designed to yield significant clinical insights.
- Results will inform the optimal follow-up strategy for high-risk PCI patients.
- Evidence generated will guide clinical decisions regarding noninvasive testing post-PCI.
Background:
Although the need to detect restenosis has diminished in the contemporary practice of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES), the surveillance of ischemia owing to restenosis or disease progression deserves attention in high-risk PCI settings. It is unknown whether follow-up strategy of routine noninvasive functional testing potentially reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events in high-risk PCI patients.
Methods:
The POST-PCI study is an investigator-initiated, multicenter, prospective randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of two follow-up strategies in patients with high-risk anatomic or clinical characteristics who underwent PCI. Study participants were randomly assigned to either (1) the routine noninvasive stress testing (exercise electrocardiography, nuclear stress imaging, or stress echocardiography) at 12 months post-PCI or (2) the standard-care without routine testing. In the routine stress testing group, depending on the testing results, all clinical decisions regarding subsequent diagnostic or therapeutic procedures were at the treating physician's discretion. The primary endpoint was a composite outcome of death from any causes, myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for unstable angina at 2 years post-PCI.
Results:
More than 1700 high-risk PCI patients have been randomized over 2.0 years at 11 major cardiac centers in Korea.
Conclusion:
This pragmatic POST-PCI trial will provide valuable clinical evidence on the effectiveness of follow-up strategy of routine noninvasive stress testing in high-risk PCI patients.
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Purposes
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