Background: The aim of this study was to determine if stent length is by itself a risk factor for intimal proliferation and restenosis. Long lesions represent an independent risk factor for restenosis after coronary stent implantation. A longer stented segment might result in a higher probability of restenosis.
Methods: Twenty-two 7-month-old male farm pigs underwent implantation of two steel stents, one short (8 mm length) and one long (16 mm length), in the right coronary artery. The pigs were sacrificed 28 days after stent implantation and histomorphometric analysis of the coronary arteries was performed for neointimal area proliferation and area stenosis evaluation.
Results: Seventeen short stents and 19 long stents were finally implanted. There were no differences in neointimal proliferation (1.84 +/- 0.64 mm2 vs. 1.81 +/- 0.94 mm2, p = 0.84), area stenosis (40 +/- 9% vs. 41 +/- 19%, p = 0.86) and lumen area (2.96 +/- 1.30 mm2 vs. 2.51 +/- +/- 1.18 mm2, p = 0.21) between the short stent group and the long stent group, respectively.
Conclusions: These data suggest that stent length by itself does not influence restenosis extent in the porcine model.