Drug-eluting stents in saphenous vein graft interventions: a systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
A systematic review of the outcomes after drug-eluting stents (DES) implantation in saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) was performed.


RESULTS
The majority of the 33 published studies were retrospective with only two prospective randomised trials. Late loss and binary restenosis was reduced compared to bare metal stents (BMS) in all seven studies with angiographic follow-up. With the exception of one study there was no difference in mortality, myocardial infarction, or stent thrombosis between BMS and DES. The need for repeat target vessel or lesion revascularisation was lower in the DES arm in approximately half the published studies and similar in the remaining studies.


CONCLUSIONS
Until data from large, prospective, randomised-controlled studies become available, DES implantation in SVGs appears to be safe and, although not yet definitively proven, likely to reduce angiographic restenosis and the need for repeat target lesion revascularisation.
VA North Texas Healthcare System and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA. esbrilakis@yahoo.com
Emmanouil S
ES
Brilakis
Bilal
B
Saeed
Subhash
S
Banerjee
D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000601:surgery; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D006801:Humans; D012086:Reoperation; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome