Clinical outcomes between different stent designs with the same polymer and drug: comparison between the Taxus Express and Taxus Liberte stents.
OBJECTIVE
The Taxus Liberte stent (Boston Scientific Co.) evolved from the Taxus Express stent, with enhanced stent deliverability and uniform drug delivery. This study was designed to compare angiographic and clinical outcomes in real-world practice between the Taxus Liberte and Taxus Express stents.


METHODS
Between 2006 and 2008, 240 patients receiving the Taxus Liberte stent at three centers were registered and compared to historical control patients who had received the Taxus Express stent (n = 272). After propensity score matching, 173 patients treated with the Taxus Liberte stent and the same number of patients treated with the Taxus Express stent were selected. The primary outcome was a composite of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), ischemia driven target vessel revascularization (TVR), and stent thrombosis (ST) at 1 year. An additional angiographic assessment was conducted at 9 to 12 months.


RESULTS
The study showed no significant difference between the Taxus Express and Taxus Liberte stents (death, 1.73% vs. 2.31%, p = 1.000; MI, 0% vs. 1.73%, p = 0.2478; TVR, 2.31% vs. 1.16%, p = 0.6848; and ST, 0% vs. 1.16%, p = 0.4986). The total MACE rate at 1 year did not differ between the groups (4.05% in Taxus Express vs. 4.05% in Taxus Liberte, p = 1.000). In addition, the binary restenosis rate did not differ (2.25% in Taxus Express vs. 1.80% in Taxus Liberte, p = 0.6848).


CONCLUSIONS
In real-world experience with the two Taxus stent designs, both stents showed similarly good clinical and angiographic outcomes at 1 year. A long-term follow-up study is warranted.
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Jang-Won
JW
Son
Ung
U
Kim
Jong-Seon
JS
Park
Young-Jo
YJ
Kim
Jae-Sik
JS
Jang
Tae-Hyun
TH
Yang
Dong-Soo
DS
Kim
Dong-Kie
DK
Kim
Sang-Hoon
SH
Seol
Doo-Il
DI
Kim
Chang-Wook
CW
Nam
Seung-Ho
SH
Hur
Kwon-Bae
KB
Kim
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000401:mortality; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D003328:Coronary Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D057216:Propensity Score; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012042:Registries; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D013193:Stainless Steel; D017239:Paclitaxel
Angioplasty; Drug-eluting stents; Polymers