CORONARY STENTING IN CLINICAL-PRACTICE - PATIENT PROFILE, IMMEDIATE OUTCOME, CLINICAL AND ANGIOGRAPHIC FOLLOW-UP IN 243 CONSECUTIVE PATIENTS

The purpose of this study is to assess immediate outcome and long term results in unselected consecutive patients (pts) representing a spect rum of clinical and angiographic subgroups and stent designs. Results. From first implantation in November 1989 through to October 1995, 243 pts underwent coronary stent insertion (307 stents, males n=188, fema les n=55, mean age 57.8 years. Palmaz-Schatz stents were implanted in 210 pts, Wiktor in 30 pts, both in 3. Bailout stenting was performed i n 11 patients. Overall procedural success was 97%. Complete revascular ization was achieved in 155 (64%) patients. Stenting of an infarct-rel ated artery within 6 hours of an acute myocardial infarction was perfo rmed in 6 patients, and for unstable angina in 107. Pre-procedure 223 (92%) pts had class III/IV angina. Stenting of 11 vein grafts and 5 le ft main arteries was performed. Subacute stent thrombosis occurred in 13 (5%) pts while 6 (2.5%) pts died in hospital, and 8 (3%) had a Q-wa ve myocardial infarction. At a mean (SD) 7.3 (12.9) months follow-up 2 33 (96%) pts were alive, 213 (91%) had no or mild angina. Angiographic follow-up in 201 (83%) pts at 19 (30) weeks showed a 13% in stent res tenosis rate. Conclusions. In an unselected, consecutive series of pat ients undergoing coronary stenting, mortality was low, procedural succ ess was high and late clinical and angiographic results were satisfact ory. Subacute stent thrombosis, though uncommon remains a challenge.