Primary angioplasty: Effect of deferred stenting on stent size.

BACKGROUND: Primary angioplasty with immediate stenting (IS) is the gold standard for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Deferred stenting (DS) has been proposed to limit periprocedural complications, and may influence stent size because of thrombus and spasm alleviation.

AIM: We sought to study the effect of DS on stent size.

METHODS: Over the study period, 258 patients underwent primary angioplasty for STEMI (DS, n=84; IS, n=174). An informative coronary angiogram run - i.e. allowing for proper lesion analysis - was selected and anonymized by an independent operator. Two experienced operators randomly analysed these runs, and proposed stent dimensions after having measured vessel diameter and lesion length by quantitative coronary analysis. The primary objective was the variation in stent size between the two coronary angiograms.

RESULTS: The median delay between the two coronary angiograms was 2 days. Overall, the stent length was shorter (-1.64mm; P=0.030) and its diameter was larger (+0.13mm; P<0.001) during the second coronary angiogram, especially in the right coronary arteries.

CONCLUSIONS: DS led to the implantation of a larger and shorter stent; this is probably because DS allows for more accurate assessment of the residual lesion after relief of spasm and thrombus, and may have clinical consequences in terms of stent thrombosis and restenosis.