Clinical and angiographic features of small vessel stenting in the drug-eluting stent era.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to investigate the clinical and angiographic features and procedural outcomes of small-vessel stenting in a real-world experience during the transition era between drug-eluting stents (DES) and bare-metal stents (BMS).


METHODS
Using one of the largest single-institutional cohorts, this study evaluated all patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from 2002 through 2005. Analysis was restricted to patients receiving a single stent or undergoing balloon-only angioplasty in a single anatomic site. Small-vessel stents (SVS) were defined as 2.00 to 2.75 mm and large-vessel stents (LVS) as 3.00 to 4.00 mm in diameter.


RESULTS
A total of 19,580 stents were placed in 10,396 patients. Of 6208 patients fulfilling inclusion criteria, 1630 (26.3%) received SVS, and 4578 (73.7%) received LVS. The SVS group had more female (35.5% vs 26.3%, P < .001) and diabetic patients (27.9% vs 24.2%, P < .003) than the LVS group. Compared with LVS, SVS lesions were shorter (14.5 +/- 5.8 mm vs 15.7 +/- 6.4 mm, P < .0001) and more complex (66% vs 53% class B2/C lesions, P = .041). Indicators of procedural difficulty, including greater contrast volume, number of devices, total inflation time, and fluoroscopy time, were more commonly observed in the SVS group. After adjustment for confounding factors, the incidence of small treatment vessel diameter was significantly higher among the DES vs the BMS group (odds ratio [OR]: = 1.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.56-2.36).


CONCLUSIONS
In addition to identifying distinct patient, lesion, and procedural performance characteristics, our study, one of the largest single-center experiences in small-vessel PCI, suggests that the availability of DES substantially increased the use of SVS, as opposed to balloon-only angioplasty, in this anatomically challenging setting.
Saint Joseph's Cardiovascular Research Institute, Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30342, USA. rjabara@sjha.org
Refat
R
Jabara
Marc
M
Gradman
Jack P
JP
Chen
Spencer B
SB
King
Radhika
R
Gadesam
Nicolas A F
NA
Chronos
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D008670:Metals