title: 'Primary intention' intracoronary stenting guided by angiography alone: a safe approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the outcome of intracoronary stent placement by 'primary intention', guided by angiography alone, and without the use of postprocedural anticoagulation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Canadian university teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n=559) undergoing urgent or elective percutaneous revascularization procedures (n=616) in whom a preprocedural decision to employ coronary stent placement was made. Emergency and bailout stent procedures were excluded.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stents were delivered at high pressure (1616 to 1818 kPa) on balloons matched to the proximal reference segment diameter. Adequacy of stent deployment was judged by angiographic criteria alone. Postprocedural medication included acetylsalicylic acid and ticlopidine. Quantitative coronary angiographic analysis was independently performed. Acute procedural outcomes were prospectively collected. Patients were followed for one year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All but one patient had a successful angiographic result. Periprocedural death (0.3%), Q wave myocardial infarction (MI) (0%), non-Q MI (1.6%) and stent thrombosis (0.6%) were uncommon events. At one year, 96% of patients were alive and free of MI, while 12% of patients required repeat target lesion revascularization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A primary intention strategy of intracoronary stenting, guided by angiography alone, is a safe and effective approach to percutaneous coronary revascularization.
authors.affiliation: McMaster Clinics - Hamilton General Hospital, Hamilton, Canada. dgoodhar@fhs.mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Goodhart
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Galbraith
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Traboulsi
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Knudtson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019233:Retreatment; D015607:Stents; D015996:Survival Rate