Change of the complexity of coronary artery disease after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stent

We investigated changes of the complexity of coronary artery disease (CAD) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation using SYNTAX score and the predictor of worsened SYNTAX score at follow-up. 116 consecutive patients who underwent de novo PCI with first-generation DES were enrolled. SYNTAX scores were obtained from coronary angiography before PCI, just after final PCI and at follow-up after 6–8 months and investigated. SYNTAX score changed from 19.8 ± 11.9 before PCI to 13.7 ± 10.6 after PCI and to 15.0 ± 11.7 at follow-up. SYNTAX score before PCI was significantly correlated with a difference of SYNTAX score between before and after PCI [acute improved score (AIS)] and between after PCI and at follow-up ( r = 0.5, p