Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA) for long coronary lesion is known to be associated with low success rate,suboptimal outcome,high complication and restenosis rates. Here we report the early clinical and angiographic results of long coronary stent implantations for long coronary lesions.

We analyzed the clinical,angiographic features and early results after stent implantations in 46 patients who were implanted long coronary stent(≥20mm in length)among 174 stented patients at Chonnam University Hospital from Jan.through Nov.1996.

1) Age was 59±7(35-78) years, and sex ratio was 2.5 : 1(33 male : 13 female). Clinical diagnosis was as follows ; 24 patients with unstable angina, 21 with acute myocardial infarction, 1 with stable angina and 6 with old myocardial infarction. Left ventricular ejection fraction by left ventriculogram was 58±10(27-87)%.

2) Involved numbers of vessel were single in 27 patients, two in 14 patients, and three in 5 patients. Target stented coronary arteries were 28 left anterior descending arteries, 17 right coronary arteries, and 1 left circumflex artery. Morphologic types of target lesions were type C in 26 patients, type B2 in 20, and diameter stenosis(DS) was 76±13%, minimal luminal diameter(MLD) 1.0±0.3mm, length 21±6(10-38)mm. Indications for stent were 28 de novo lesions, 10 restenoses, 5 suboptimal PTCAs and 3 bailout procedures. Twenty six Microstents II, 15 Wallstents, 4 Freedom stents, and 1 Wiktor stent were used. Stent diameter was 3.2±0.3(2.5-5.0)mm and length 30±3(20-49)mm, stent diameter/reference diameter(RD) ratio 1.0 ±0.1, and stent minus lesion length 9.0±3.7mm.

3) Stents were deployed successfully in all 46 patients. No procedure-related death, myocardial infarction, emergency bypass surgery, and clinical and laboratory evidences of acute or subacute stent thrombosis were observed.

4) DS was decreased to 3.5±7.5%, MLD was increased to 3.2±0.3mm(p<0.0001, respectively). Acute gain was 2.2±0.4mm(71.8±15.6%, p<0.0001).

We observed high success rate without major complications in long stent implantations for long coronary arterial lesions. Long-term follow-up should be required to prove long coronary stent as a better treatment modality to reduce acute complications and late restenosis.