Long-Term Follow-up After Coronary Stent Implantation in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Prospective randomized trials of coronary stenting in patients with coronary artery disease have shown a reduced incidence of cardiac events. However, little is known of the late outcome of patients treated with coronary stenting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relatively long-term clinical outcomes (3 to 6 years) of patients treated with successful coronary stenting. The long-term clinical outcome was studied in 101 consecutive patients (78 males and 23 females) who had undergone successful coronary stent implantation for coronary artery disease in our hospital from October 1994 to September 1997. During a follow-up period of 48.9+/-9.5 months (range, 6-73 months), cardiac events were documented in 37 patients. The rate of survival free of cardiac events was 67% at 3 years. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that ACC/AHA lesion type and residual percent diameter stenosis greater than 20% after stenting were the significant explanatory factors of adverse cardiac events. Long-term clinical outcome in patients with coronary artery disease treated with successful coronary stenting was influenced by the ACC/AHA lesion type of stented lesion and residual percent diameter stenosis after stent implantation.