Clinical benefit of small vessel stenting: one-year follow-up of the SISCA trial.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the long-term clinical benefit of elective stenting as compared with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in small coronary arteries.


METHODS
The Stenting in Small Coronary Arteries (SISCA) trial was a randomized trial comparing elective stenting with PTCA in coronary arteries with a reference diameter of 2.1-3.0 mm. The heparin-coated beStent was used. Control angiography was performed after 6 months, and the patients were followed clinically for 12 months.


RESULTS
At 6 months the clinical outcome was significantly better in the stent group as compared with the PTCA group, with an event-free survival in 90.5 and 76.1% (p = 0.016), respectively. From 6 to 12 months, event-free survival was unchanged in both groups, demonstrating a sustained long-term clinical benefit of elective stenting.


CONCLUSIONS
Angioplasty in small coronary arteries is associated with a favorable clinical outcome after 1 year. The clinical benefit of elective stenting using the Hepamed-coated beStent is maintained beyond 6 months, without any tendency towards late events. Thus, elective stenting should be considered as an option when treating small coronary arteries.
Moer
Rasmus
R
Department of Cardiology, The Feiring Heart Clinic, Feiring, Norway. moer@online.no
Myreng
Yngvar
Y
Mølstad
Per
P
Albertsson
Per
P
Gunnes
Pål
P
Lindvall
Bo
B
Wiseth
Rune
R
Arne
Kjetil Ytre
KY
Golf
Svein
S
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D003331:Coronary Vessels; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome