BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in saphenous vein grafts tipically have a higher risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). MACE incidence and predictors were evaluated in the current scenario, where distal protection and thrombus aspiration devices and the use of drug-eluting stents are part of the daily practice. METHODS: Sixty-nine consecutive patients undergoing coronary stenting in saphenous vein grafts from January 2005 to December 2008 were evaluated. Clinical, angiographic and procedure-related variables were evaluated as well as the incidence and predictors of MACE in the late follow-up. RESULTS: Mean age was 72 ± 10.2 years, 79.7% were male, 31.9% were diabetic, and 56.5% presented with acute coronary syndromes. Seventy-one saphenous vein grafts were treated, with lesions located mainly in the body of the graft (35.3%) and more frequently treated with drug-eluting stents (82.8%). Distal protection devices were used in 31.9% and thrombus aspiration in 1.4% of the patients, and 30.4% received glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. No-reflow was observed in 8.7% and procedure success was observed in 89.9% of the cases. In the late follow-up, MACE, death, acute myocardial infarction and target vessel revascularization were observed in 15.9%, 7.2%, 4.3%, and 14.5%, respectively and stent thrombosis was observed in 2.9% of the patients. In the Cox regression analysis only the use of bare metal stents was associated with MACE [hazard ratio (HR) 4.1, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.2-13.3; P = 0.02] CONCLUSIONS: Patients with lesions in saphenous vein grafts treated by percutaneous interventions had a high rate of mid-term adverse events and the use of bare metal stents was associated to a worse clinical outcome.
Stents; Saphenous vein; Coronary vessels
