Long-term clinical outcome after implantation of medium Palmaz (biliary) stents in very large native coronary arteries

Intracoronary stenting has been shown to improve acute and long‐term clinical results compared with coronary angioplasty. However, clinical outcome after medium Palmaz biliary (PB) stent implantation in very large native coronary arteries (> 4 mm in diameter) is unknown. This study evaluated restenosis and long‐term clinical outcome after PB stenting in large native coronary arteries. Between June 1993 and December 1998, 55 patients with 56 lesions were treated with PB stents. Intracoronary stent deployment was successful in all 56 vessels attempted (100%). The mean stenosis was reduced from 65% ± 10% to 4% ± 14%. In 48 of the 56 vessels (86%), vessel size was greater than 4.0 mm in diameter and the mean reference vessel diameter was 4.73 ± 0.7 mm after stenting. Angiographic success was achieved in 100%. Five patients had postprocedural cardiac enzyme elevation. There was no periprocedural death, emergency coronary artery bypass surgery, repeat target lesion revascularization, or acute stent thrombosis. Long‐term clinical follow‐up at mean of 28 ± 15 months was obtained in 96% of the patients. Clinical restenosis rate occurred in 18% of ostial (6/34) and 0% of nonostial (0/22) lesions (P < 0.0001) with an overall clinical restenosis rate of 11%. Repeat angioplasty were performed in these six patients. There were three cardiac and three noncardiac deaths. The overall event‐free survival at 1 and 3 years was 92% ± 4% and 80% ± 6%, respectively. PB stent implantation in very large native coronary arteries can be performed with a high degree of procedural success and low in‐hospital complications. The long‐term clinical outcome of patients undergoing PB stenting is associated with excellent event‐free survival. However, stenting of ostial lesions remains as an important factor for restenosis even in very large coronary artery stenting. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2002;56:35–39. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.