CORONARY STENTING (CORDIS) WITHOUT ANTICOAGULATION

We evaluated the effect of antithrombotic regimens on subacute thrombo sis and short-term clinical courses after successful implantation of t he Cordis coronary stent, which is a flexible, balloon expandable, rad iopaque tantalum stent. Two hundred seventy-five consecutive patients with 290 lesions were treated with 356 Cordis stent implantations. Acc ording to poststent antithrombotic regimen, patients were divided into 3 groups; 165 patients with 175 lesions received aspirin 200 mg/day, ticlopidine 500 mg/day, and warfarin for 1 month (group 1), 66 patient s with 69 lesions received aspirin and ticlopidine (group 2), and 44 p atients with 46 lesions received aspirin alone (group 3) after success ful Cordis stenting. The overall procedural success rates were 97.7% i n group 1, 98.6% in group 2, and 100% in group 3. More than 65% of the patients were eligible for elective stenting. The overall rate of ste nt thrombosis was 1.8%: 1.2% in patients assigned to the treatment wit h aspirin, ticlopidine, and warfarin; 0% in patients with aspirin and ticlopidine; and 6.8% in patients assigned to the treatment with aspir in alone. In conclusion, the Cordis coronary stent is an effective end ovascular stent in various clinical indications including unstable ang ina and acute myocardial infarction. Antiplatelet therapy using aspiri n and ticlopidine after successful Cordis coronary stenting is a promi sing alternative to anticoagulation therapy to overcome the drawbacks of stenting. However, poststent antithrombotic therapy with aspirin al one is associated with a significant rate of stent thrombosis. (C) 199 7 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.