Early and long-term results of NIR stent implantation in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease who underwent single vessel percutaneous coronary angioplasty

Background. Long term success of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is limited by relatively high restenosis rate (30-50%). Restenosis rate can be decreased by stent implantation, but this has been shown only for selected stents. Therefore, every new stent needs to be tested to prove its short and long term efficacy. Aim. To evaluate the early and long-term results of the New Intravascular Rigid-flex (NIR) stent implantation in patients with symptomatic coronary heart disease undergoing one-vessel (one-lesion) PTCA. Methods. The study population comprised 56 patients with a coronary lesion eligible for PTCA (including lesions located at bifurcation and at tortuous segments). After predilation the NIR stent was implanted at pressure of 8-12 atm., followed by postdilatation to achieve zero or negative residual stenosis. Follow-up angiography was performed 6 month after the procedure. Results. The successful stent implantation was obtained in all patients. No in-hospital acute cardiac events were observed during and after the procedure. Six months after the procedure, a routine angiography revealed late loss of 0.95±0.43 mm and binary restenosis rate 25%. Fourteen patients underwent repeat revascularisation: 13 of them were successfully treated with PTCA and one patient was qualified for coronary artery by-pass graft surgery. Conclusions. Early results of elective NIR stent implantation are very good, with a restenosis rate after 6 months of 25%.