Long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents.
Drug-eluting stents substantially reduce restenosis compared with bare-metal stents and represent a significant advance in percutaneous coronary interventions. Accordingly, drug-eluting stents have been rapidly adopted into practice and are currently used in the vast majority of complex percutaneous coronary procedures. However, in the last 2 years, concerns have been raised regarding their long-term safety, especially regarding the risk of late and very-late stent thrombosis. Delayed endothelial coverage after drug-eluting stent implantation is thought to prolong the window of vulnerability to stent thrombosis, which requires a prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy. Recent registry studies and meta-analyses seem to have provided reassuring results regarding the long-term rates of death and myocardial infarction associated with the use of drug-eluting stents compared with bare-metal stents. However, data are not consistent and concerns remain.
Rossini
Roberta
R
USC Cardiologia, Dipartimento Cardiovascolare, Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, Largo Barozzi 1, Bergamo, Italy. roberta_rossini@yahoo.it
Musumeci
Giuseppe
G
Aprile
Alessandro
A
Valsecchi
Orazio
O
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors