Back to Journals » Vascular Health and Risk Management » Volume 6

Small coronary vessel angioplasty: outcomes and technical considerations

Authors Rathore S

Published 11 October 2010 Volume 2010:6 Pages 915—922

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/VHRM.S8161

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2



Sudhir Rathore
Department of Cardiology, Atkinson Morley wing, St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

Abstract: Small vessel (<3 mm) coronary artery disease is common and has been identified as independent predictor of restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention. It remains controversial whether bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation in small vessels has an advantage over balloon angioplasty in terms of angiographic and clinical outcomes. Introduction of drug-eluting stent (DES) has resulted in significant reduction in restenosis and the need for repeat revascularization. Several DESs have been introduced resulting in varying reduction in outcomes as compared with BMS. However, their impact on outcomes in small vessels is not clearly known. It is expected that DES could substantially reduce restenosis in smaller vessels. Large, randomized studies are warranted to assess the impact of different DESs on outcomes in patients with small coronary arteries.

Keywords: small coronary arteries, coronary artery disease, stent, drug-eluting stent, restenosis

 

Creative Commons License © 2010 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.