In patients with small-vessel coronary artery disease, stenting creates a special set of concerns for providers. A study with XIENCE V everolimus-eluting stents has demonstrated that they are safe and effective in patients with small-vessel disease at one-year follow-up.

Published July 1 in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, researchers explored the use of XIENCE V everolimus-eluting stents (Abbott Vascular) in both a small- and a nonsmall-vessel cohort of patients.

While the small-vessel cohort had more complex lesions, the research team led by James B. Hermiller, MD, of St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana in Indianapolis, found that the one-year clinical outcomes between the small-vessel and nonsmall-vessel cohorts were similar.

In the first 30 days, fewer members of the small-vessel cohort experienced definite or probable stent thrombosis, although over the longer term, both cohorts were comparable, at 0.37 percent vs. 0.4 percent. At one-year follow-up, the rate of academic research consortium defined MI and cardiac death was 4.5 percent in the small-vessel group and 5.1 percent in the nonsmall-vessel group. The target lesion revascularization rate was 3.8 percent in the small-vessel group vs. 3 percent in the nonsmall-vessel group.

Only major bleeding differed between the two groups: Rates were 1.4 percent for the small-vessel group while they were 2.6 percent in the nonsmall-vessel group.

The study was designed to reflect complex, real-world patients. Hermiller et al enrolled approximately 2,000 patients, with 838 in the small-vessel cohort. The findings at one year are consistent with prior studies on XIENCE V everolimus-eluting stents in low-risk patients, which demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the device.

This trial was sponsored by Abbott Vascular.