Impact of Intravascular Ultrasound Imaging on Early and Late Clinical Outcomes Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Drug-Eluting Stents

ObjectivesThis study sought to assess the impact of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided versus angiography-guided drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation.BackgroundThere are limited data on IVUS guidance in the DES era. Therefore, we investigated the impact of IVUS guidance on clinical outcomes in the MATRIX (Comprehensive Assessment of Sirolimus-Eluting Stents in Complex Lesions) registry.MethodsThe MATRIX registry prospectively enrolled consecutive, unselected patients treated with sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) (n = 1,504); 631 patients (42%) underwent IVUS-guided stenting, and 873 (58%) had only angiographic guidance. We assessed 30-day, 1-year, and 2-year rates of death/myocardial infarction (MI), major adverse cardiac events (cardiac death, MI, or target vessel revascularization), and definite/probable stent thrombosis in 548 propensity-score matched patient pairs.ResultsAfter matching, baseline and angiographic characteristics were similar in IVUS and no-IVUS groups. Patients in the IVUS group had significantly less death/MI at 30 days (1.5% vs. 4.6%, p < 0.01), 1 year (3.3% vs. 6.5%, p < 0.01), and 2 years (5.0% vs. 8.8%, p < 0.01). Patients in the IVUS group had significantly less major adverse cardiac events at 30 days (2.2% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.04) and numerically less major adverse cardiac events at 1 year (9.1% vs. 13.5%, p = 0.07) and 2 years (12.9% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.18). Rates of MI were significantly lower in the IVUS group at 30 days (1.5% vs. 4.0%, p < 0.01), 1 year (1.8% vs. 4.8%, p < 0.01), and 2 years (2.1% vs. 5.7%, p < 0.01).ConclusionsIVUS-guided stent implantation appears to be associated with a reduction in both early and long-term clinical events. Further investigation in randomized controlled trials is warranted.