Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and use of drug-eluting stent in shiraz catheterization centers during 2006

Background: The dominant role of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), especially with drug-eluting stent is obvious in alleviating symptoms and improving life quality of patients with coronary artery disease.
Patients and Methods: We analyzed a total 2267 angioplasty cases (906 women, and 1361 men) in six public and private catheterization centers in Shiraz, from January 2006 to January 2007.
Results.
A) Pure old balloon angioplasties were performed only in 12 cases (0.52 %).
B) Drug-eluting stents (53.7 %) were placed more frequently than Bare-metal stents (46.3 %). There was 13% increase in placing drug-eluting stent during 2005.
C) Drug-eluting stents were used in 50.0 % and 54.9 % of patients in public and private hospitals, respectively.
D) In Shiraz centers, Cypher model was used more often than other models (29.1 %).
E) Single-vessel disease PTCAs were done in 65.5 % of patients followed by two (27.0 %), and three-vessel diseases (7.5 %).
Conclusion: We recommend the increasing use of drug-eluting stents especially in patients with three-vessel disease. However, the use of first generation of drug-eluting stents would increase the chance of subacute thrombosis. It is also essential to carry out especial surveys about drug-eluting stents in Iran and Middle East.