Introduction: Long and diffuse coronary lesions (LDCLs) are routinely subjected to percutaneous management, but long‑term clinical outcomes and complication predictors with the use of contemporary stents and techniques remain undetermined.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to address long‑term effects of percutaneous management of LDCLs, using contemporary devices and optimization techniques.
Patients and methods: Long and diffuse coronary lesion was defined as a lesion requiring an implantation of 30 mm or longer total stent(s) length (TSL) into one coronary artery (bailouts excluded). There were 290 LDCL interventions with the use of newer generation drug‑eluting stents (DESs; cobalt chromium everolimus- or zotarolimus-eluting stents) performed between January 2013 and January 2016.
Results: The mean (SD) TSL was 55.5 (16.8) mm. The use of intravascular ultrasound / optical coherence tomography was 17.1%, rotablation, 6.9%, and noncompliant balloon, 88.9%. The median (range) follow‑up duration was 831 (390-1373) days. All‑cause mortality and cardiac death rates were 11.7% and 6.9%, respectively. The myocardial infarction (MI) rate was 6.6%, including target‑vessel MI in 4.1%. The rate of clinically‑driven repeat revascularization was 13.8%, and of definite or probable LDCL stent thrombosis, 7.2%. Overall patient‑oriented adverse event rate (any death, MI, or repeat revascularization) was 25.5%, and device‑oriented rate (cardiac death, target vessel‑MI, or target lesion restenosis), 13.4%. Adverse outcome predictors were chronic kidney disease, acute coronary syndrome as an indication for the procedure, chronic heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, multivessel disease, and coexisting peripheral artery disease, but not lesion‑related factors, such as bifurcation, calcification, chronic total occlusion, or TSL.
Conclusions: Adverse outcomes following contemporary LDCL management using newer generation DESs in routine clinical practice are associated with clinical patient characteristics rather than lesion characteristics or TSL. We identified high‑risk patient cohorts that may benefit from enhanced surveillance.