Intracoronary Stenting has been established as an effective treatment modality for the reduction of restenosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction. This study was performed in order to evaluate the long-term outcomes of stenting for infarct-related artery (IRA) lesions using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and compare these results with the stenting of non infarct-related artery (non-IRA) lesions.

IVUS-guided coronary stenting was successfully performed in 510 native coronary lesions (105 IRA vs. 405 non-IRA). A six-month angiography was performed in 419 lesions (82.2%):87 IRA lesions (82.9%) and 332 non-IRA lesions (82.0%). The results were evaluated using clinical, angiographic and IVUS methods.

There were no significant differences in the clinical and angiographic variables between the two groups. IVUS variables including reference vessel area and minimal stent area were also similar between the two groups. There was no significant difference in the angiographic restenosis rate between the two groups in cases of minimal stent area <or=7 mm²:12.8% (6/47) in IRA vs. 19.1% (33/173) in non-IRA lesions (p=0.315). However, the angiographic restenosis rate in cases of minimal stent area <7 mm² was 50% (20/40) in IRA lesions vs. 31.5% (50/159) in non-IRA lesions (p=0.028).

The rate of angiographic restenosis is significantly higher in stenting for IRA lesions as compared with that for non-IRA lesions in cases of minimal stent area <7 mm².