Objective: To assess the long-term clinical benefit of elective stenting as compared with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in small coronary arteries.
Design: The Stenting in Small Coronary Arteries (SISCA) trial was a randomized trial comparing elective stenting with PTCA in coronary arteries with a reference diameter of 2.1-3.0 mm. The heparin-coated beStent was used. Control angiography was performed after 6 months, and the patients were followed clinically for 12 months.
Results: At 6 months the clinical outcome was significantly better in the stent group as compared with the PTCA group, with an event-free survival in 90.5 and 76.1% (p = 0.016), respectively. From 6 to 12 months, event-free survival was unchanged in both groups, demonstrating a sustained long-term clinical benefit of elective stenting.
Conclusion: Angioplasty in small coronary arteries is associated with a favorable clinical outcome after 1 year. The clinical benefit of elective stenting using the Hepamed-coated beStent is maintained beyond 6 months, without any tendency towards late events. Thus, elective stenting should be considered as an option when treating small coronary arteries.