Immediate and medium term results of coronary stenting.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical events occurring after c oronary stenting in a series of 318 consecutive patients treated in 1997. H ospital follow-up was by gathering all the data in the hospital record and medium-term follow-up was performed by questionnaire filled with the help o f the patient, the attending physician and the referring cardiologist. The primary clinical success rate was 95.6% and the clinical follow-up rate was 98.7%. The follow-up period was at least 16 months (mean 22 +/- 6 mont hs). The restenosis rate was 15% in the remaining population (318-7 deaths and 4 lost to follow-up) and 47% in the population undergoing control coron ary angiography. Na major clinical cardiac events (death, myocardial infarc tion or revascularisation) were observed in 80.5% at 1 year and 79% at 22 m onths. Twenty per cent of the remaining population had no non-invasive para clinical investigations for myocardial ischaemia after coronary stenting. These results are comparable to those of the literature, indicating excelle nt feasibility of this technique and the fact that, programmed or not, coro nary stenting is a safe procedure confirming its value in what has become e veryday practice. Nevertheless, this experience did highlight certain lapse s in medical follow-up and patient information.