Drug-eluting stents

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. In Cuba, 75% are related to ischemic events, which can be treated by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. The main technical limitation is stent restenosis, for which stents that release drugs that inhibit the cell cycle have been introduced. Efficacy had not yet been observed in Cuba, where 78 patients were selected from the CIMEQ Cardiocentro in the period 2004-2008. They were divided into two groups: sirolimus-eluting stents (SLS) and paclitaxel-eluting stents (SLP). Inclusion and exclusion criteria and a monitoring protocol were established to assess short- and long-term effects. They examined 49 lesions with SLS and 34 with SLP, of which three patients developed in-hospital peripheral vascular events and one (SLS) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with no statistically significant differences between the groups. It can therefore be concluded that the efficacy of drug-eluting stents shows excellent results, regardless of the drug released.