Impact of the Location of Recurrent Stenosis on Revascularization after Coronary Palmaz-Schatz Stent Implantation.

: In 69 patients the incidence of target lesion revascularization during 3-year follow-up after single Palmaz-Schatz stent implantation was compared with the in-stent location of recurrent stenoses at 6-month follow-up angiography. A stenosis was defined as a lesion with > 15% diameter stenosis. After stent implantation, 17 mid-type, 10 proximal and 5 distal-type residual stenoses were found. At follow-up, 56 mid-type, 11 proximal and 6 distal-type stenoses were measured. Only proximal-type residual stenoses revealed an increase in diameter stenosis (40 +/- 15% vs 27 +/- 6%; p < 0.05). Five out of 11 patients (45%) with proximal-type recurrent stenoses underwent revascularization during follow-up versus 8 out of 56 (14%) with mid-type and none of the 6 patients with distal-type stenoses (p = not significant). This clear trend N toward more progression and target lesion revascularization procedures in proximal-type recurrent stenoses mainly developing from residual stenoses left after stent implantation N should be verified in larger patient collectives.