Clinical and angiographic outcome after conventional angioplasty with optional stent implantation compared with direct stenting without predilatation

Abstract

Direct stent implantation without predilatation significantly reduced late luminal loss, giving a better improvement in minimal luminal diameter and restenosis rate than with optional stenting. There were five patients in whom direct stenting failed who needed predilatation followed by stent implantation. However, in most patients direct stent implantation without predilatation is a feasible treatment option with a favourable long term outcome and a low incidence of complication. The procedure may help to reduce the cost of coronary interventions by reducing overall procedure and fluoroscopy times, the amount of contrast medium used, and the number of angiography catheters needed.