Background: Despite the fact that in animal models direct stenting (DS) reduces the vessel injury, in clinical practice this treatment strategy did not reduce late restenosis as compared to conventional strategy with balloon predilatation (PD). However, the influence of DS was not evaluated when stent expansion is optimized by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) assessment.
Methods: We analyzed the in-hospital and 1-year outcomes of patients at Washington Hospital Center who were treated with percutaneous coronary interventions and stent implantation when percutaneous intervention was guided by IVUS. Only patients treated for single de novo lesions were included.
Results: In 1386 patients, 251 (18.1%) were treated with DS and 1135 (71.9%) were treated with PD. Pre- and postprocedure characteristics by angiography and IVUS were similar in both groups. Postprocedure non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI) occurred in 4.9% of the DS group and in 12.5% of the PD group (P = .005). At 1-year follow-up, target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate was 4.9% in the DS group and 14.8% in the PD group (P = .005). DS strategy (odds ratio = .46, confidence interval = .25-.85, P = .013) was independently correlated to lower risk for revascularization in multivariate analysis.
Conclusion: When DS is implemented by IVUS assessment, it is associated with low in-hospital and long-term events.
Copyright 2004 Elsevier Inc.