Comparison of stent length reported by the stent's manufacturer to that determined by quantitative coronary angiography at the time of implantation versus that determined by coronary computed tomographic angiography at a later time

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess whether coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) would allow accurate length measurements that may help select optimal stent length. In 19 patients who underwent stent implantation and CCTA, the lengths of 30 implanted stents were assessed independently using quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) at the time of implantation and CCTA during follow-up. Measurements on CCTA and QCA were compared with the actual lengths of the implanted stents. The mean actual stent length was 17.3 ± 6.3 mm; the mean length of the stents measured using CCTA was 17.25 ± 5.54 mm, and the mean length of the stents measured using QCA was 15.92 ± 5.86 mm. There was a stronger positive correlation between measurements on CCTA versus actual stent lengths (R = 0.99, p = 0.0001) than between measurements on QCA versus actual stent lengths (R = 0.82, p = 0.0001) (p <0.0001 for the difference between correlation coefficients). In conclusion, the length measurements obtained with CCTA correlate better with an anatomic gold standard (actual stent lengths) than those obtained using QCA.