The short‐ and long‐term outcomes of percutaneous intervention with drug‐eluting stent vs bare‐metal stent in saphenous vein graft disease: An updated meta‐analysis of all randomized clinical trials

The use of drug‐eluting stents (DES) vs bare‐metal stents (BMS) in saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions remains controversial. We conducted a meta‐analysis of all randomized clinical trials comparing the outcomes of DES with BMS in SVG percutaneous coronary interventions. A search of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, and Clinicaltrials.gov was performed for all randomized clinical trials. We evaluated the short‐ and long‐term clinical outcomes of the following: all‐cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), definite/probable stent thrombosis, target lesion revascularization (TLR), and target‐vessel revascularization (TVR). From a total of 1582 patients in 6 randomized clinical trials, 797 had DES and 785 had BMS. Patients with DES had lower short‐term MACE, TLR, and TVR in comparison with BMS (odds ratio [OR]: 0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.35–0.91, P = 0.02; OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.19–0.99, P = 0.05; and OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.22–0.95, P = 0.04, respectively). However, there were no different outcomes for all‐cause mortality (P = 0.63) or stent thrombosis (P = 0.21). With long‐term follow‐up, there were no significant reductions of MACE (P = 0.20), TLR (P = 0.57), TVR (P = 0.07), all‐cause mortality (P = 0.29), and stent thrombosis (P = 0.76). The use of DES in SVG lesions was associated with lower short‐term MACE, TLR, and TVR in comparison with BMS. However, there were no significant differences with long‐term follow‐up.     

Treatment of saphenous vein graft lesions with drug-eluting stents: immediate and midterm outcome

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present report was to evaluate clinical and angiographic outcomes of drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions. BACKGROUND: The safety and efficacy of DES implantation for the treatment SVG lesions remains uncertain. METHODS: We evaluated in-hospital and six-month outcomes in 61 consecutive patients treated with DES in SVG lesions from March 2002 to March 2004 (DES group), as compared to 89 consecutive patients treated with bare-metal stents (BMS) in the 24 months immediately before the introduction of DES (BMS group). Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including death, myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization (TLR), and target vessel revascularization (TVR) were recorded in-hospital and at six-month follow-up. RESULTS: The rate of in-hospital MACE was similar between the two groups (6.6% vs. 5.6%, p = 1.0). Cumulative MACE at six months was 11.5% in the DES group and 28.1% in the BMS group (p = 0.02). The DES group had a significantly lower incidence of in-segment restenosis (10.0% vs. 26.7%, p = 0.03), TLR (3.3% vs. 19.8%, p = 0.003), and TVR (4.9% vs. 23.1%, p = 0.003). By Cox regression analysis, diabetes (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33 to 6.90; p = 0.008), usage of BMS (HR: 2.53; 95% CI: 1.07 to 5.97; p = 0.03), and age of SVG (HR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.19; p = 0.02) were identified as predictors of MACE at six-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to BMS implantation, DES implantation in SVG lesions appears safe with favorable and improved mid-term outcomes.     

Percutaneous intervention on the saphenous vein bypass grafts—Long‐term outcomes

Background/Objective : In this era of drug eluting stents (DES), the long‐term outcome of percutaneous intervention (PCI) on saphenous venous grafts (SVG) is unknown. The objective of the study was to compare the long‐term outcomes of DES versus bare metal stent (BMS) in this population and to determine the predictors of outcomes. Methods : We reviewed the medical records of all patients who had PCI performed during January 2003 to February 2005 to obtain data cardiac risk factors, medications at discharge, angiographic details and outcomes. Results : One hundred and nine patient had PCI to SVG; of these, 37 patients received DES and the remaining had BMS. Over a mean follow‐up of 33 months, the PCI using DES was associated with 30% restenosis, 35% target vessel revascularization (TVR) and major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rate of 46% versus 35% restenosis, 38% TVR and 50% MACE rate with BMS. There was no significant difference in long‐term outcome with DES as compared to BMS. Conclusion : There was no difference in the long‐term outcomes of PCI on SVG irrespective of the type of stent used. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Comparison of long‐term outcomes of drug‐eluting stents and bare metal stents for saphenous vein graft stenosis

Objective : Our aim was to compare the long‐term outcomes between drug‐eluting stents and bare‐metal stents for saphenous vein graft stenosis. Background : The ideal type of stent to treat saphenous vein graft stenosis has not been clearly established. Short‐term randomized controlled trial results comparing drug‐eluting stents with bare‐metal stents for saphenous vein graft stenosis are conflicting, intermediate‐term retrospective studies and meta‐analyses at two years suggest no difference in outcomes, and there are no long term follow‐up studies. The need for long term follow‐up data has become emerged with concern over late stent thrombosis. Methods : 246 saphenous vein graft patients undergoing stenting from August 2002–December 2008 were studied. Overall survival and event‐free survival were compared by Kaplan‐Meier method. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated by Cox‐proportional hazards models. Results : We treated 133 patients with DES (median follow‐up four years) and 113 patients with BMS (median follow‐up four years) for SVG stenosis. Overall survival (77.0% ± 3.9% vs. 70.6% ± 4.6%, log‐rank P = 0.60) and MACE‐free survival (57.5% ± 4.6% vs. 56.8% ± 4.9, log‐rank P = 0.70) were not significantly different between the DES and BMS groups. Although BMS was associated with increased risk of target lesion revascularization (TLR) (freedom from TLR 85.2% ± 3.5% vs. 90.0% ± 3.0%, HR 2.07, 95% CI 0.97–4.42, log‐rank P = 0.05), there was no significant difference in the freedom from myocardial infarction (86.7% ± 3.3% vs. 88.7% ± 3.2%, log‐rank P = 0.39) or target vessel revascularization (77.1% ± 4.2% vs. 76.1% ± 4.2%, log‐rank P = 0.33) between the two groups. Conclusions : Although mortality is not statistically different between DES and BMS for SVG stenosis, BMS is associated with increased risk of revascularization, thus suggesting the superiority of DES over BMS in the long term. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Outcomes of diabetics receiving bare‐metal stents versus drug‐eluting stents

Objectives : We sought to determine if differences existed in in‐hospital outcomes, long‐term rates of target vessel revascularization (TVR), and/or long‐term mortality trends between patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with either a drug‐eluting stent(s) (DES) or a bare metal stent(s) (BMS). Background : Short‐ and long‐term clinical outcomes of patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing PCI with DES versus BMS remain inconsistent between randomized‐controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies. Methods : Data were collected prospectively on diabetics undergoing PCI with either DES or BMS from January 2000 to June 2008. Demographic information, medical histories, in‐hospital outcomes, and long‐term TVR and mortality trends were obtained for all patients. Results : A total of 1,319 patients were included in the study. Diabetics receiving DES had a significant reduction in index admission MACE compared to diabetics receiving BMS. Using multivariable adjustment, after a mean follow‐up of 2.5 years (maximum 5 years), diabetics who received DES had a 38% decreased risk of TVR compared to diabetics with BMS [HR 0.62 (95% CI: 0.43–0.90)]; diabetics with DES had an insignificant adjusted improvement in long‐term survival compared to diabetics with BMS [HR 0.72 (95% CI: 0.52–1.00)]. These long‐term survival and TVR rates were confirmed using propensity scoring. Conclusions : The use of DES when compared with BMS among diabetics undergoing PCI is associated with significant improvement in long‐term TVR, with an insignificant similar trend in all‐cause mortality. The long‐term results of this observational study are consistent with prior RCTs after adjusting for confounding variables. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Long‐term outcomes of drug‐eluting stents versus bare‐metal stents in saphenous vein graft disease: Results from the Prairie “Real World” Stent Registry

Objectives:

This study was designed to compare long‐term clinical outcomes of drug‐eluting stents (DES) versus bare metal stents (BMS) in patients with saphenous vein graft (SVG) disease in the “real world.”

Background:

The safety and efficacy of DES versus BMS in SVG remains uncertain due to contradictory reports of either lower revascularization rates with DES; or clinical equivalence to BMS; or even an excess of clinical events associated with DES use.

Methods:

We identified consecutive patients who underwent stent placement within a de novo SVG lesion between May 1, 2003 and July 31, 2007. Follow‐up was obtained at regular intervals. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to produce actuarial survival estimates. Cox regression analysis was used to predict the risk associated with stent type, and propensity scores were generated to risk‐adjust the results.

Results:

The study group included 379 stent recipients (284 DES; 95 BMS) with 410 stented lesions. BMS were placed more frequently in current smokers, acute myocardial infarctions, larger vessels, and longer lesions. In‐hospital mortality was higher in BMS recipients than in their DES counterparts (3.2% vs. 0, respectively; P = 0.015). At 3 years, there was no significant difference in clinical adverse event rates between DES and BMS recipients, even after risk adjustment.

Conclusions:

Three‐year adverse event rates are similar among patients treated with DES or BMS in SVG lesions. Therefore, while DES are safe, they do not appear to offer an advantage in terms of long‐term graft patency. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Safety and efficacy of drug eluting stents compared with bare metal stents for saphenous vein graft interventions: A comprehensive meta‐analysis of randomized trials and observational studies comprising 7,994 patients

Background: Saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions remain amongst the most challenging lesions for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It is unknown whether drug eluting stents (DES) are superior to bare metal stents (BMS) for such lesions. Our objective is to determine the safety and efficacy of DES compared with BMS for SVG lesions by performing a meta‐analysis of clinical trials and observational studies. Data Sources: PubMed, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, conference proceedings, and internet‐based resources of clinical trials. Study Selection: Studies comparing DES vs. BMS for SVG lesions with at least > 30 patients in each study reporting the outcomes of interest [death, myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel revascularization (TVR), stent thrombosis (ST), and the composite of death, TVR and MI (major adverse cardiac events; MACE)] with at least 6 months clinical follow‐up. The primary outcome of interest was death. Results: Two randomized trials, one subgroup analysis of a randomized trial and 26 observational studies comprising a total of 7,994 patients (4,187 patients in DES and 3,807 patients in BMS group) were included in the analysis .Mean follow‐up duration was 21 ± 11 months (6–48 months). In the overall population, MACE events were 19% in DES and 28% in BMS with a risk ratio (RR) of 0.7 (0.6, 0.8) P < 0.00001. This effect of MACE was sustained in studies with >2 years follow‐up with RR of 0.77 (0.65, 0.91) P = 0.003. Death rate was 7.8% in DES and 9% in BMS with a RR of 0.82 (0.7, 0.97) P = 0.02. MI rate was 5.7% in DES and 7.6% in BMS with RR of 0.72 (0.57, 0.91) P = 0.007. TVR was 12% in DES and 17% in BMS with RR of 0.71 (0.59, 0.85) P = 0.0002. ST was 1% in DES and 1.7 % in BMS RR of 0.61 (0.35, 1.06) P = 0.08. Specifically in randomized controlled trials, DES were associated with no significant differences in overall mortality [RR = 1.97; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.17–23; P = 0.58] or MI (RR = 1.24; 95% CI, 0.3–5.5; P = 0.78) compared with BMS. Conclusions: Based on the results of this meta‐analysis, DES may be considered as a safe and efficacious option for the percutaneous intervention of SVG lesions. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Lack of clinical long‐term benefit with the use of a drug eluting stent compared to use of a bare metal stent in saphenous vein grafts

Background: Small randomized trials have shown short‐term improved outcome with drug‐eluting stents (DES) over bare metal stent (BMS) in saphenous vein graft (SVG) interventions by reducing in‐stent restenosis and target vessel revascularization (TVR). It is not clear, however, if these benefits are maintained long term. The aim of this study is to compare the outcome in a larger cohort of patients undergoing SVG stent implantation with DES or BMS, at 2 years. Methods: From among 250 patients who underwent SVG stenting, 225 patients with available follow‐up were selected from data bases at the three participating institutions. One‐hundred‐six patients had DES (sirolimus, paclitaxel or tacrolimus eluting stent) and 119 patients had any available BMS from April 2002 to December 2006. The primary endpoint was MACE rate, a combination of cardiac death, S‐T elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and target lesion revascularization. Secondary end points were the individual components of the primary endpoint. Follow‐up was obtained by mailed interviews or telephone calls and review of the hospital chart. Results: The DES and BMS groups had similar age (71 ± 8 years vs. 70 ± 7 years, P = 1.0), diabetes (45% vs. 36%, P = 0.3), history of MI (58% vs. 51%, P = 0.6), EF (44% vs. 47%, P = 0.2) and previous PCI (40% vs. 35%, P = 0.4). Reference vessel diameter (3.15 ± 0.5 mm vs. 3.5 ± 0.5 mm. P = 0.001) and stent size (3.3 ± 0.4 mm vs. 3.9 ± 0.5 mm, P = 0.001) were smaller in the DES group; however, the BMS were longer (24 ± 10 mm vs. 21 ± 6 mm, P = 0.05). At one year there was a trend (P = 0.1) for lower MACE rate in the DES group, but at two years there was no difference in MACE free survival between the DES and BMS groups (81 % vs. 82%, P = 0.9). The death rate was similar (6% each) with three patients having STEMI (two in the DES and one in the BMS). TVR was also similar (14% in each group). Conclusion: In patients undergoing treatment of SVG disease with a stent, the marginal benefit of DES seen at 1 year was lost at 2‐year follow‐up. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Rationale and design of the Drug‐Eluting Stents vs Bare‐Metal Stents in Saphenous Vein Graft Angioplasty (DIVA) Trial

VA Cooperative Studies Program #571 (DIVA) was designed to evaluate the efficacy of drug‐eluting stents (DES) for reducing aortocoronary saphenous vein bypass graft (SVG) failure when compared with bare‐metal stents (BMS) in participants undergoing stenting of de novo SVG lesions. Participants undergoing clinically indicated stenting of de novo SVG lesions were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to DES or BMS. Randomization was stratified by presence/absence of diabetes mellitus and the number of target SVG lesions (1 vs ≥2) within each participating site. At sites that did not routinely administer 12‐months of dual antiplatelet therapy after SVG stenting participants without acute coronary syndromes received 1 month of open‐label clopidogrel, followed by 11 months of clopidogrel for those assigned to DES and 11 months of placebo for those assigned to BMS. The primary endpoint was the 12‐month incidence of target‐vessel failure (defined as the composite of cardiac death, target‐vessel myocardial infarction, or target‐vessel revascularization). Secondary endpoints included the incidence of other clinical endpoints and the incremental cost‐effectiveness of DES relative to BMS. Due to lower‐than‐anticipated target‐vessel failure rates, target enrollment was increased from 519 to 762. The study had randomized 599 participants when recruitment ended in December 2015. The DIVA trial will provide clarity on the appropriate stent type for de novo SVG lesions.     

Impact of chronic renal insufficiency on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing saphenous vein graft intervention with drug‐eluting stents: A multicenter Southern Californian Registry

Objectives : To evaluate the clinical outcomes in patients with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) who undergo saphenous vein graft (SVG) intervention with drug‐eluting stents (DES). Background : Patients with CRI have higher rates of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) after percutaneous revascularization. SVG intervention is associated with increased rates of MACE compared with percutaneous revascularization of native arteries. However, the impact of CRI on SVG intervention with DES has not been well delineated. Methods : Consecutive patients who underwent SVG intervention with DES at five medical centers from April 2003 to December 2007 were included in this analysis. Results : A total of 172 patients, 39 patients with CRI and a serum creatinine ≥1.5 mg dL^?1, and 133 patients without CRI, underwent SVG intervention with DES. Patients with CRI were more often older, diabetic, and had a longer mean total stent length. At 1 year, patients with CRI had a higher MACE rate (35.9% vs. 15.8%, hazard ratio [HR] 2.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26–4.88, log rank P = 0.009), mainly driven by higher mortality (20.5% vs. 9.8%, HR 3.41, 95% CI 1.10–10.58, log rank P = 0.024). There was a trend toward higher rates of target vessel revascularization in the CRI group (21.8% vs. 10.3%, HR 2.42, 95% CI 0.94–6.24, log rank P = 0.059). Stent thrombosis rates were not different between patients with and without CRI (2.6% vs. 2.3%, P = 0.8). Multivariable analysis revealed that CRI was the only significant predictor of 1‐year MACE (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1–4.3; P = 0.03). Conclusions : Patients with CRI who underwent SVG intervention with DES had higher risks of MACE and death compared with patients with preserved renal function. Further treatment strategies are needed in this high‐risk group who undergo SVG intervention with DES. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Drug-Eluting Versus Bare Metal Stents in Saphenous Vein Graft Intervention: An Updated Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

BackgroundDrug eluting stents (DES) are preferred over bare metal stents (BMS) for native coronary artery revascularization unless contraindicated. However, the preferred stent choice for saphenous venous graft (SVG) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) is unclear due to conflicting results.MethodsPubMed, Clinical trials registry and the Cochrane Center Register of Controlled Trials were searched through June 2018. Seven studies (n = 1639) comparing DES versus BMS in SVG-PCI were included. Endpoints were major adverse cardiac events (MACE), cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel revascularization (TVR), target lesion revascularization (TLR), in-stent thrombosis, binary in-stent restenosis, and late lumen loss (LLL).ResultsOverall, during a mean follow up of 32.1 months, there was no significant difference in the risk of MACE, cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, MI, stent thrombosis, TVR and TLR between DES and BMS. However, short-term follow up (mean 11 months) showed lower rate of MACE (OR 0.66 [0.51, 0.85]; p = 0.002), TVR (OR 0.47 [0.23, 0.97]; p = 0.04) and binary in-stent restenosis (OR 0.14 [0.06, 0.37]; p < 0.0001) in DES as compared with BMS. This benefit was lost on long-term follow up with a mean follow up 35.5 months.ConclusionIn this meta-analysis of SVG-PCI, DES use was associated with similar MACE, cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, MI, in-stent thrombosis, TVR and TLR compared with BMS during long-term follow up. There was high incidence of MACE noted in both DES and BMS suggesting a need for exploring novel strategies to treat SVG disease to improve clinical outcomes.     

A comparative analysis of major clinical outcomes using drug‐eluting stents versus bare‐metal stents in a large consecutive patient cohort

Objectives : To ascertain the long‐term safety, efficacy, and pattern of use of drug‐eluting stents (DES) in routine clinical practice. Methods : We analyzed a registry of 6,583 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), of whom 2,633 were treated using DES (DES group) and 3,950 were treated using bare‐metal stents (BMS group). Propensity score was used for stratified analysis of outcomes and for matching. Outcomes were total mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), repeat target vessel revascularization (TVR) rates, and risk‐adjusted event‐free survival. Results : Follow‐up time was 6 months to 5.18 years (mean: 3 years). Patients in the DES group were more likely to be diabetic and had use of longer or more stents, treatment of more lesions and of more proximal main vessels. After propensity score matching, the cumulative mortality was 12.85% in the DES group versus 14.14% in the BMS group (P = 0.001). Use of DES reduced the occurrence of MI (5.17% vs.5.83%, P = 0.046), of clinically driven TVR (9.76% vs. 12.28%, P < 0.001) and of the composite endpoint of death/MI/TVR (23.38% vs. 26.07%; P < 0.001). Conclusions : Our risk‐adjusted event‐free survival analysis indicates a prognostic benefit for DES utilization that sustains up to 5 years following PCI. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A comparative analysis of major clinical outcomes using drug‐eluting stents versus bare metal stents in diabetic versus nondiabetic patients

Objectives: We aim to explore the clinical outcome of drug‐eluting stents (DES) versus bare‐metal stents (BMS) implantation in diabetics versus nondiabetic patients. Background: Diabetic patients sustain worse long‐term clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) when compared with nondiabetics. The use of DES decreases the rate of repeat revascularization in this population but data concerning long‐term clinical benefits, such as myocardial infarction (MI) or mortality is scant. Methods: We analyzed data from a comprehensive registry of 6,583 consecutive patients undergoing PCI at our center. A propensity score was used for analysis of outcomes and for matching (DES vs. BMS). Outcome parameters were total mortality, MI, repeat target vessel revascularization (TVR) rates, and risk‐adjusted event‐free survival. Within this cohort, we identified 2,571 nondiabetic patients and these were compared with 1,826 diabetic coronary patients. Results: Mean and median follow up time was 3 and 3.25 years, respectively. Overall, diabetics had higher rates of major‐adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) at 4 years compared with nondiabetics (23.03 vs. 31.96 P > 0.001). DES use was associated with lower rates of TVR in both groups [diabetics hazard ratio (HR) = 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.42–0.76, P < 0.001, nondiabetics HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.55–0.97, P = 0.03] while sustained decreased rates of both mortality and MI were evident solely among diabetics (HR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.56–0.89, P = 0.004 in diabetic vs. HR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.69–1.13, P = 0.3). Conclusions: In a “real‐world,” unselected population and extended clinical use, DES in diabetics was associated with sustained decreased rates of MI, death, TVR, and MACE while this benefit was attenuated in the nondiabetic population. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A comparison of drug-eluting stents versus bare metal stents in saphenous vein graft PCI outcomes: a meta-analysis

Aims: Studies demonstrate that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug‐eluting stents (DES) is associated with reduced revascularization and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) rates compared to bare metal stents (BMS) in native coronary vessels. Optimal PCI treatment of saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions remains unclear despite SVG procedures representing up to 10% of PCI cases. We therefore performed a meta‐analysis to compare outcomes between BMS and DES in SVG PCI. Methods and Results: A search (2004–2009) of MEDLINE and conference proceedings for all relevant studies comparing mortality and MACE outcomes in DES versus BMS in SVG PCI and meta‐analysis of the data was performed. Twenty studies were identified from 2005 to 2009 enrolling a total of 5,296 patients. Meta‐analysis revealed a decrease in mortality associated with DES use, odds ratio (OR) 0.68; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53–0.88; P = 0.004. Similarly, MACE (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.51–0.82; P < 0.001), total lesion revascularization (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.43–0.83; P = 0.002), and total vessel revascularization (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.41–0.80; P = 0.001) were significantly decreased in the patients in which DES were used compared to BMS. This reduction in mortality and MACE events associated with DES use appears to be limited to registry studies and not randomized controlled studies. Conclusions: Our meta‐analysis suggests DES use to be safe in SVG PCI and associated with reduced mortality and MACE rates with reductions in revascularization also observed. (J Interven Cardiol 2011;24:172–180)     

Saphenous vein graft lesions: Are second‐generation drug‐eluting stents better?

• Long‐term outcomes were similar in patients treated with first‐ or second‐generation drug‐eluting stents (DES) for saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions.
• Patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction as a result of occluded SVG may derive some benefit from the use of second‐ versus first‐generation DES
• Randomized clinical trials are needed to determine whether newer DES types including those with bioabsorbable polymer or scaffolds offer a distinct advantage in the treatment of SVG lesions.

     

Everolimus‐Eluting Stents Versus Sirolimus‐ or Paclitaxel‐Eluting Stents: Two‐Year Results from the Guthrie Health Off‐Label Stent (GHOST) Registry

Objectives

We sought to compare the safety and effectiveness of everolimus‐eluting stents (EES) versus first generation drug‐eluting stents (FG‐DES; sirolimus‐eluting stent [SES] or paclitaxel‐eluting stent [PES]).

Methods

In 2,126 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), we compared the 2‐year incidence of stent thrombosis (ST) and target vessel revascularization (TVR) between the EES versus FG‐DES groups. Secondary end‐points included all‐cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), death or MI, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE, including death, MI, ST, or TVR). Further, we evaluated these end‐points in 2 propensity‐matched subgroups: EES versus SES; EES versus PES.

Results

Complete 2‐year follow‐up was available in 1,911 (90%) patients. Compared to FG‐DES, implantation of EES was associated with trends towards lower ST (0.9% vs. 2.8%, P = 0.068) and TVR (3.8% vs. 7.2%, P = 0.052), which persisted after adjustment for baseline differences (for ST, adjusted hazard ratio, HR 0.32; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 0.10–1.02, P = 0.053; for TVR, HR 0.40; 95% CI 0.22–0.75, P = 0.004). Compared to SES, EES implantation was associated with lower TVR and a trend towards lower ST. Compared to PES, EES implantation was associated with less ST and TVR and trends towards lower death/MI and MACE. In the EES group, no ST was seen after the first 3 months.

Conclusions

The use of EES compared to FG‐DES appears to be associated with reductions in ST and TVR at 2‐year follow‐up. Improved outcomes with EES are observed in comparison with SES as well as PES. (J Interven Cardiol 2013;26:153–162)

     

Long-term safety and effectiveness of drug-eluting stents compared to bare metal stents following successful PCI in non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction: findings from the Guthrie Health Off-Label StenT (GHOST) Registry

Background: The long‐term safety and effectiveness of drug‐eluting stents (DES) versus bare metal stents (BMS) in non‐ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) beyond 2 years after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unknown. Methods: We studied 674 NSTEMI patients who underwent successful PCI with DES (n = 323) or BMS (n = 351). The primary study end‐points were time to occurrence of death or nonfatal recurrent myocardial infarction (MI), and stent thrombosis (ST). Secondary end‐points included time to occurrence of target vessel revascularization (TVR) and any major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE, defined as the composite of death, MI, ST, TVR). Results: The DES and BMS groups were well matched except that DES patients received dual antiplatelet therapy for a longer duration and had smaller final vessel diameter. In survival analysis, at a mean follow‐up of 1333 ± 659 days after PCI, the DES group had similar incidence of death/myocardial infarction (24% vs. 27%, log rank p = 0.23) and ST (4.0% vs. 2.6%, p = 0.18) as the BMS group. The DES patients had lower incidence of TVR (8.1% vs. 17%, p = 0.0018) but similar MACE (26% vs. 37%, p = 0.31). In multivariable analysis, DES vs. BMS implantation showed no significant impact on death/myocardial infarction [adjusted hazards ratio (HR) 1.0, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.7–1.4], ST (HR 1.7; CI 0.7 – 4.0), or MACE (HR 0.8; CI 0.6 – 1.1). However, TVR was lower in the DES group (HR 0.4; CI 0.3 – 0.7). Conclusion: In patients presenting with NSTEMI, DES implantation appears to be as safe as BMS implantation at long‐term follow‐up. In addition, DES are effective in reducing TVR compared to BMS. (J Interven Cardiol 2012;25:28–36)     

A completely fractured zotarolimus‐eluting stent in an aortocoronary saphenous vein bypass graft

Drug‐eluting stents (DES) have significantly improved the rate of target vessel revascularization in comparison with bare metal stents. DES fracture was not reported in multicenter randomized clinical trials, but several case reports of DES fracture have been published, mostly with sirolimus‐eluting stents. DES fracture is associated with stent restenosis and thrombosis. We report a zotarolimus‐eluting stent fracture in an aortocoronary saphenous vein graft (SVG) bypass. The patient presented with chest pain and a non‐ST‐elevation myocardial infarction. He underwent cardiac catheterization that showed a complete fracture of a zotarolimus‐eluting stent in the ostium of a sequential SVG to the diagonal and obtuse coronary arteries. His management included coronary angioplasty and retrieval of the proximal fractured segment. We discuss the potential causes for this stent fracture and suggest caution when using a DES in an ostial location of a SVG bypass, especially in a highly mobile vessel. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Real World,Long‐Term Outcomes Comparison Between Paclitaxel‐Eluting and Sirolimus‐Eluting Stent Platforms

We compare real‐world, extended target vessel revascularization (TVR)‐free survival following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for patients receiving either sirolimus‐eluting stents (SES) or paclitaxel‐eluting stents (PES) following an index drug‐eluting stent (DES) supported procedure. We analyzed 2,363 consecutive patients having first DES‐supported PCI at receiving PES (n = 1,012) or SES (n = 1,332) from April 2004 to July 2006. Baseline clinical and procedural characteristics and in‐hospital outcomes were recorded during the time of the index procedure and extended clinical outcomes data were obtained thereafter. TVR and all cause mortality were identified during the study period. Adjusted Kaplan‐Meier and Cox's proportional hazard survival methods were performed. TVR‐free survival at 2.3 years was 91.3% for SES compared with 88.9% for PES (P = 0.06). Kaplan‐Meier survival curves did not significantly differ (adjusted hazard ratio ?1.39 [95% CI 0.99–1.97]) between the SES and PES patient cohorts. TVR was similar between the stent platforms at one (96.6% for SES [95% CI 95.3–97.6] vs. 95.7% for PES [95% CI 94.1–96.9]) and two (95.0%[95% CI 93.0–96.4] for SES vs. 93.7% for PES [95% CI 91.6–95.3]) years. Overall survival at 2 years was 96.2% for SES (95% CI 94.7–97.3) and 95.3% for PES (95% CI 93.7–96.5). SES and PES drug‐eluting stent platforms have good and similar extended outcomes in this real world registry of unselected patients having PCI. (J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:167‐175)     

Long‐term clinical outcomes of real‐world experience using sirolimus‐eluting stents in saphenous vein graft disease

Objective : To evaluate the long‐term clinical outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for saphenous vein graft (SVG) disease. Specifically, we compared clinical endpoints of patients who received sirolimus‐eluting stents (SES) versus bare‐metal stents (BMS) for SVG disease. Background : A recent small randomized‐controlled trial (RCT) reported increased mortality with the use of SES in SVG disease. Methods : We retrospectively identified patients who underwent SES placement for a SVG lesion(s) at our institutions over a 4‐year period. The procedural and medical records were reviewed to identify predetermined clinical outcomes. Results : 318 patients who underwent SES placement for a SVG lesion were identified. 7 patients were lost to follow‐up. 141/311 patients (45%) received SES, while 170/311 (55%) received BMS. At a mean follow‐up of 34 months, there was a reduction in target lesion revascularization (TLR) (7% vs. 14%, P = 0.07) without an increased risk of mortality (6% vs. 12%, P = 0.06) in patients who received SES compared to patients who received BMS. When compared to the recent RCT's SES patients at long‐term follow‐up, our SES patients had significantly less mortality; rates of myocardial infarction, TLR, target vessel revascularization, and major adverse cardiac events; and were more likely to be taking dual antiplatelet and statin medications. Conclusion : Our results support that SES used in SVG lesions result in a reduction in TLR without an increased risk of mortality, and therefore may be an equally safe and feasible technique for revascularization with excellent long‐term clinical outcomes. These patients may benefit from prolonged dual antiplatelet and statin medication regimens. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.