Sirolimus-eluting stents for percutaneous coronary intervention in acute myocardial infarction Lesson from a case-controlled comparison of bare metal versus drug-eluting stents in thrombus-laden lesions

BACKGROUND: Given the encouraging results on early restenosis rate with drug-eluting coronary stents, both safety and 6 months outcomes of PCI with sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) in acute myocardial infarction are scarce. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction were subjected to acute PCI with SES and compared to 50 matched control patients who received a bare metal stent (BMS). All patients were followed over 6 months; in addition repeat angiography was obtained in 88.0% of SES and 92.0% of BMS patients. As a result of matching both groups were similar with regard to demographic, clinical, and infarction characteristics, as well as procedural data and adjunctive medication. SES diameter was 3.0 +/- 0.1 versus 3.3 +/- 0.5 mm with BMS, while the length of stented segment was 24 +/- 11 mm with SES versus 16 +/- 8 mm with BMS (p<0.05). No subacute stent thrombosis occurred in either group. At 6 months, all-cause mortality was 2.0% with SES, and 4.0% with BMS (n. s.); reinfarction rate was 2.0% in both groups, but binary restenosis rate (4.0 versus 18.0%; p<0.05) and target vessel revascularization (TVR) were improved with SES (2.0 versus 16.0%; p<0.05) resulting in lower MACE rate of 6.0 versus 22.0% with BMS (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Placement of SES with PCI for myocardial infarction is feasible and as safe as BMS; 6-month outcome is superior with SES due to the lower rate of both angiographic restenosis and TVR.