Influence of Clinical and Anatomical Factors on the Outcome of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

136 The outcome of percutaneous coronary interventions depends on several factors. Some relate to the patient’s clinical characteristics, in particular, to the presence of diabetes, renal failure, or unstable syndromes, the number of diseased vessels, and the level of left ventricular function. Others are linked to the anatomical characteristics of the lesion. Firstly, whether it is located in the left main coronary artery or in a coronary ostium, whether there is a saphenous vein graft, and whether the lesion is bifurcated or involves small-diameter arteries. Secondly, whether lesion morphology is characterized by heavy calcification or severe occlusion. Therapy using coronary stents has become the standard approach. Angiographically, results are good but some problems occur over the long term, such as restenosis. The recent introduction of stents coated in drugs that inhibit intimal proliferation, which have been shown to reduce the restenosis rate dramatically, is certain to increase and alter the range of applications of percutaneous coronary interventions.