| Abstract: | Acute and long‐term (≥ 3 years) outcomes of coronary artery stenting using Palmaz‐Schatz and Multi‐Link stent implantations between November 1995 and October 1999 were analyzed. There were 655 Palmaz‐Schatz stent implantations in 577 lesions on 477 patients (group A) and 428 Multi‐Link stent implantations in 381 lesions on 326 patients (group B). The baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups. Group B had more complex lesions, longer stenotic lesions, and larger reference vessel sizes than group A. However, both groups had a similar in‐hospital cardiac events. Four hundred and two patients with 488 lesions in group A and 260 patients with 307 lesions in group B underwent a 6‐month follow‐up coronary angiography. The restenotic rate per lesion was 16% in both groups (P = 0.872). A 3‐year angiographic follow‐up was performed in 262 patients of group A (301 lesions) and 139 patients of group B (162 lesions), and restenosis was noted in only 3 patients (1.36%) in group A and 5 patients (4%) in group B, in which the lesion was patent at the 6‐month angiographic follow‐up. Significant increase in minimal luminal diameter was noted from 2.23 ± 0.66 mm at 6 months to 2.33 ± 0.64 mm in group A (P < 0.01), and insignificant increase from 2.23 ± 0.77 to 2.28 ± 0.82 mm was noted in group B (P = 0.27). No differences were noted between the two groups in mortality, reinfarction, recurrent angina, target lesion angioplasty, or elective coronary artery bypass surgery during a follow‐up period of 60 ± 3 months. Forty‐five patients (9.4%) in group A and 18 patients (5.5%) in group B received additional stenting procedures for newly developed lesions. The overall cardiac event‐free survival was 66% in group A and 72% in group B (P = 0.844). In conclusion, the procedural success rate, in‐hospital morbidity, 6‐month angiographic results, and long‐term (≥ 3 years) clinical and angiographic outcomes were similar with coronary stenting using either Palmaz‐Schatz or Multi‐Link stent. The stented lesions were stable; however, late regression of minimal luminal diameter was noted in both groups, and progression of atherosclerotic change in the nonstented site was noted during long‐term follow‐up. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2004;62:453–460. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. |
