ABSTRACT
Background: Since the introduction of stents in 1994, improved clinical results have boosted the development of coronary angioplasty in Chile. Drug eluting stents, that have a reduced rate of restenosis, are being increasingly used. Aim: To assess the acute and long-term results of bare metal stent implantation. Patients and Methods: Acute and long-term clinical, procedural and angiographic results were assessed in non acute myocardial infarction patients undergoing coronary stent implantation between August 1996 and December 2003. Results: During the study period, 932 patients aged 30 to 87 years (194 women) had at íeast one stent implanted. Twenty two percent were diabetic, 33 percent had recent myocardial infarction, 53 percent unstable angina and 22 percent stable angina. Angiographic and clinical success were 99.6 percent and 98.2 percent, respectively. In hospital death was 0.5 percent. During a mean follow-up of 19.1 months, all cause mortality was 3.9 percent, cardiac death 1.9 percent and survival free of major cardiac ischemic events was 85.3 percent. Only 6.4 percent of lesions underwent target vessel revascularization (TVR). Independent predictors of TVR were previous surgery, íeft anterior descending artery, small post stent minimum luminal diameter. Ostial location, in-stent restenosis, and younger age were non significant predictors. Conclusions: Acute and long-term results of bare metal stents in this population were excellent. An intriguingly low rate of TVR was seen. Selective bare metal stenting should continue in lesions and patients with a low risk of clinical restenosis.