[Acute and long-term clinical results of bare metal coronary stenting]. / Resultados clínicos inmediatos y alejados del implante de stents metálicos no recubiertos. Se justifica un reemplazo total por los stents liberadores de drogas?

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 least one stent implanted. Twenty two percent were diabetic, 33% had recent myocardial infarction, 53% unstable angina and 22% stable angina. Angiographic and clinical success were 99.6% and 98.2%, respectively. In hospital death was 0.5%. During a mean follow-up of 19.1 months, all cause mortality was 3.9%, cardiac death 1.9% and survival free of major cardiac ischemic events was 85.3%. Only 6.4% of lesions underwent target vessel revascularization (TVR). Independent predictors of TVR were previous surgery, left 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.

Predictive factors of stenosis after stapled colorectal anastomosis: prospective analysis of 179 consecutive patients.

The incidence, risk factors, and clinical relevance of stenosis of stapled colorectal anastomosis (CRA) were studied prospectively. Anastomotic stricture was defined as the inability of traversing the anastomosis with the rigid proctoscope. The population studied consisted of 179 patients (94 males) with an average age of 59.3 years (range: 20 to 91 years). The main indication for surgery was colorectal cancer in 59% of the cases, followed by diverticular disease in 23%. The first endoscopic control was performed before 4 months in 25% of the patients, between 5 and 10 months in 50%, and during the following 10 months in 25%. Stenosis was verified with the rigid instrument in 21.1% of the cases and with the flexible colonoscope in 4.4%. The barium enema performed in 12 cases confirmed a punctiform stenosis in 5 patients, 4 of whom had been asymptomatic. An endoscopic dilatation was performed on 5 of the 8 symptomatic patients, with one relapse that required an additional dilatation. In the univariate analysis only the lesser 4-month interval was statistically significant (p = 0.033; odds ratio (OR) = 2.3; confidence interval (CI) 95% = 1.06 to 4.97). Male patients (p = 0.057; OR = 2.08; IC 95% = 0.97-4.44) show a tendency to CRA stricture that does not reach statistically significant levels. In the multivariate analysis, only sex (p = 0.04; OR = 4.11; IC 95% = 1.03 to 5.41) and the time interval (p = 0.012; OR = 2.87; IC 95% = 1.25 to 6.57) appear as independent variables in stenosis risk of a stapled CRA. The incidence of this complication depends on the criteria used for defining it. It is clinically relevant in no more than 5% of the patients. Five out of eight patients in category II were treated successfully with an endoscopic dilatation, while the other three improved spontaneously. Early stenosis, although frequent, is generally asymptomatic and disappears spontaneously. Considering the lack of correlation between the degree of stricture and its symptomatology, it is convenient to combine both the anatomic and the clinical criteria in the selection of candidates for an eventual therapeutic procedure.