Coronary Stenting (Cordis) Without Anticoagulation

Abstract

We evaluated the effect of antithrombotic regimens on subacute thrombosis and short-term clinical courses after successful implantation of the Cordis coronary stent, which is a flexible, balloon expandable, radiopaque tantalum stent. Two hundred seventy-five consecutive patients with 290 lesions were treated with 356 Cordis stent implantations. According to poststent antithrombotic regimen, patients were divided into 3 groups; 165 patients with 175 lesions received aspirin 200 mg/day, ticlopidine 500 mg/day, and warfarin for 1 month (group 1), 66 patients with 69 lesions received aspirin and ticlopidine (group 2), and 44 patients with 46 lesions received aspirin alone (group 3) after successful Cordis stenting. The overall procedural success rates were 97.7% in group 1, 98.6% in group 2, and 100% in group 3. More than 65% of the patients were eligible for elective stenting. The overall rate of stent thrombosis was 1.8%: 1.2% in patients assigned to the treatment with aspirin, ticlopidine, and warfarin; 0% in patients with aspirin and ticlopidine; and 6.8% in patients assigned to the treatment with aspirin alone. In conclusion, the Cordis coronary stent is an effective endovascular stent in various clinical indications including unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction. Antiplatelet therapy using aspirin and ticlopidine after successful Cordis coronary stenting is a promising alternative to anticoagulation therapy to overcome the drawbacks of stenting. However, poststent antithrombotic therapy with aspirin alone is associated with a significant rate of stent thrombosis.