Elective Wiktor GX stenting for symptomatic stenosis in old aortocoronary saphenous vein bypass grafts: the Antwerp experience.
OBJECTIVE
We compared initial outcome, peri-procedural complications and long-term clinical follow-up of elective Wiktor GX stent implantation in severely narrowed vein grafts to a historic register of elective angioplasties in saphenous vein grafts in the same center.


METHODS
Eighty-one consecutive patients with angina and a history of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), all received elective angioplasty (PTCA) of the diseased graft; we described them as group P. The next 38 consecutive patients were treated with elective angioplasty and Wiktor Stent implantation, followed by one month ticlopidine; they were called group S.


CONCLUSIONS
This retrospective study suggests that elective Wiktor stenting in old saphenous vein graft stenosis, in combination with one month ticlopidine, leads to: 1) a better angiographic result, with reduction of peri-procedural complications; and 2) a lower incidence of recurrent angina, need for invasive or surgical re-intervention, myocardial infarction and death during follow-up.
Van Langenhove
G
G
Cardiology Department, Middelheim Hospital Antwerp, Lindendreef 1, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
Vermeersch
P
P
Kay
I P
IP
Vaerenberg
M
M
Heuten
H
H
Stockman
D
D
Convens
C
C
Albertal
M
M
Vrints
C
C
Van den Branden
F
F
Van den Heuvel
P
P
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012501:Saphenous Vein; D015607:Stents; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D013988:Ticlopidine