Safety, Efficacy and Clinical Outcome of Direct Stent Implantation

Conventional methods of stenting require predilatation, which potentially increase vessel wall injury and cost of the procedure. In this study, the safety and efficacy of direct AVE-S7 (Medtronic-USA) stent placement were evaluated in 100 patients. Quantitative coronary angiography was performed at the baseline and post-stent. Clinical follow-up was done up to 9 months. In 100 patients (76 male/24 female; mean age 51±12 years), with stable angina (n=84; 84%) and unstable angina (n=16; 16%), 102 AVE-S7 stents (diameter 3.2 ± 0.2 mm) were implanted for 102 stenoses. Direct stenting was successful in all stenoses. No stent was lost or damaged and all stents were implanted at the target site. Angiographic success (<30%residual stenosis) was achieved in all lesions. In the 9-month follow up, none of the patients died. Target lesion revascularization became necessary in 8(8%) patients after 3 months and in 4 (4%) other patients after 6 months. After 6 months, 78 patients (78%) and after 9 months 82 patients (82%) were free of anginal symptoms and after 9 months 80% of the patients were free of the ischemic events. This study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of direct placement of the AVE-S7 stent as well as its favorable clinical and angiographic results up to the 9 months after the procedure