We describe the high-pressure deployment of 2.5-mm stents in small (< 2.5 mm) coronary vessels. Forty-three lesions in 40 patients were treated. The mean reference vessel diameter was 2.3 +/- 0.2 mm. The mean % luminal stenosis was 90 +/- 9. The mean lesion length was 11. 7 +/- 9.1 mm. Sixteen lesions were pretreated with rotational atherectomy, and the remainder with PTCA. The rate of successful stent deployment was 41/43 (95%). The mean postintervention % stenosis was -1 +/- 10. There were no in-hospital deaths or procedure-related Q-wave MI. The patients were followed for a mean of 18 months. Eight patients (or 21%) developed recurrent chest pain and/or angiographically proven restenosis. One patient (3%) developed intermediate restenosis. Twenty-nine patients (or 76%) either remain symptom-free or have patent target sites on repeat angiography. It appears that reasonable acute and long-term results can be achieved with 2.5-mm stents in small coronary arteries using high-pressure deployment techniques. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 49:121-126, 2000.
Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.