Long-term intracoronary stent placement: arteriographic and histologic results after 7 years in a dog model

Prosthetic intracoronary stenting has become an important adjunct to balloon angioplasty in the percutaneous treatment of coronary artery disease. However, there are few reports of the long-term histologic consequences of stenting in the world literature. We report the arteriographic, histologic, and ultrastructural examination of a flexible tantalum wire coil stent implanted in the coronary artery of a dog for 7 years. The vessel was arteriographically patent without evidence of either stenosis or ectasia. The stent had been incorporated into the arterial wall, and was covered with a neointima of approximately 100 microns maximum thickness. There was necrosis of the tunica media adjacent to the stent but the inflammatory response was restricted to occasional macrophages in the neointima of the immediate vicinity of the stent wire. The endothelial cell layer was normal in its morphologic appearance. In summary, the flexible tantalum wire coil stent was well tolerated by the host blood vessel and demonstrated acceptable biocompatibility for the 7-year duration of its implantation in the normal dog coronary artery.