Percutaneous Intervention in Diffuse Coronary Disease: Overlapping Versus Single Very Long Stent Technique. Results From the OVERLONG Registry

Background Both stent length and stent overlap are associated with worse outcomes in the percutaneous treatment of diffuse coronary artery disease (dCAD). However, evidence comparing these issues is scarce. We aimed to compare the results between the use of single very long stent (VLS) and ≥2 overlapping stents (OS) in the treatment of dCAD. Methods Seven hundred twenty-four consecutive lesions were included: 275 treated with a single VLS (≥40 mm) and 449 with ≥2 OS. Procedural characteristics were assessed, and survival analysis was performed to compare the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization [TLR], or stent thrombosis) during a median follow-up of 31 months. Results Procedures with VLS required less contrast volume (268 ± 122 vs 302 ± 113 cm3; P < .01), fluoroscopy time (16 ± 8 vs 21 ± 16 minutes; P < .01), and procedure duration (37 ± 18 vs 47 ± 27 minutes; P < .01) than the OS procedures. The VLS group showed lower incidence of MACE (4.4% vs 10.7%; P < .01), driven mainly by lower TLR rate (1.1% vs 4.7%; P < .01). The use of OS was an independent predictor of MACE. Conclusions In this study, the use of VLS for the treatment of dCAD was associated with better outcomes compared to OS.