Immediate and follow-up clinical outcome after multivessel coronary stenting

Seventy-two out of 656 patients treated by coronary stenting between January 1995 to May 1997 underwent elective multivessel stenting as a strategy for nonsurgical revascularization in patients with two-vessel (n = 37) and three-vessel (n = 35) disease. Their age ranged from 35 to 77 years (mean: 53.6 +/- 9.2) and the majority (77.8%) were males. The patients were included if the target vessel was more than 2.7 mm in diameter and subserved a moderate to large area of viable myocardium, provided the target lesion was considered approachable by stent. In all, 160 stents were deployed in 146 vessels with a mean of 2.2 stents per patient. The procedure was performed on all the target lesions in one stage in 51(70.8%) and two stages in 21(29.2%) patients. Two-vessel stenting was done in all except 2 patients who received stents in all the three major arteries. Successful deployment of the stent was achieved at the target site in all patients without any major in-hospital complications including subacute stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction (MI), emergency bypass graft surgery (CABG) or death. Clinical follow-up was available in 66(91.6%) patients at a mean of 7.8 +/- 5.5 months. The actuarial survival rates were 98.6, 96.7 and 94.6 percent, respectively at one, 3 and 6 to 12 months after the procedure with an event-free survival (absence of death, MI, recurrence of angina or any revascularization) of 98.5 percent at one, 93 percent at 3, 83.2 percent at 6 and 68.4 percent at 12 months. Only 15(22.7%) patients developed any event and target lesion revascularization was required in 8(12%) patients. In conclusion, multivessel stenting in patients with two- and three-vessel coronary disease is feasible, safe and effective in preventing major in-hospital complications as well as reducing the recurrence of clinical events and need for revascularization on follow-up.