Impact of positive peri-stent vascular remodeling after sirolimus-eluting and paclitaxel-eluting stent implantation on 5-year clinical outcomes: intravascular ultrasound analysis from the Poststent Optimal Stent Expansion Trial multicenter randomized trial.

BACKGROUND

Positive peri-stent vascular remodeling (PPVR) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation is an important mechanism of late-acquired stent malapposition (LASM).

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 226 patients (sirolimus-eluting stent [SES], n=105; paclitaxel-eluting stent [PES], n=121) from the Poststent Optimal Stent Expansion Trial who underwent a post-intervention and 9-month follow-up intravascular ultrasound were followed clinically for 5 years. PPVR was arbitrarily defined as a >10% increase in the external elastic membrane volume index at follow-up. PPVR and LASM occurred more frequently with SESs than with PESs. The 5-year rate of major adverse cardiac events was lower with SES than with PES (10.7% vs. 23.2%, P=0.002). The late and very late stent thrombosis (ST) rate was similar between the 2 DES types, but it was higher in patients with PPVR than in those without PPVR (8.8% vs. 1.3%, P=0.009) regardless of the DES type. Early discontinuation (<1 year) of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT; hazard ratio [HR], 24.14; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.90-118.87; P<0.001), PPVR (HR, 14.94; 95%CI: 1.85-120.46; P=0.011), LASM (HR, 8.01; 95%CI: 1.93-33.16; P=0.004), and stent length (HR, 1.14; 95%CI: 0.98-1.32 per mm; P=0.078) were associated with increased risk of late and very late ST.

CONCLUSIONS

PPVR and LASM development after DES implantation, along with early discontinuation of DAPT and longer stent length, are important risk factors of late and very late ST.