Influence of Stent Length on Periprocedural Outcomes After Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

PURPOSE: A longer stent is associated with adverse events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, little information is available on the relationship between stent length and periprocedural prognosis in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We aimed to assess the target vessel stent length influence on angiographic outcomes and in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) during primary PCI in patients with STEMI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This single-center retrospective observational study included 246 patients with STEMI admitted to the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital between January 2019 and December 2021, who underwent primary PCI and successful stent implantation. The exclusion criteria included left main lesion, multiple diseased vessel-stenting, bleeding disorders, contrast allergy, and incomplete data. Patients were divided into two groups based on the median stents length: group A (≤29 mm, n=125) and group B (>29mm, n=121). Periprocedural outcomes were slow flow/no-reflow (SF-NR) and in-hospital MACE, which included acute heart failure, malignant arrhythmia, cardiovascular death, non-fatal stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and urgent revascularization. Multivariate logistic analyses were used to explore the correlation between stent length and SF-NR. RESULTS: A total of 246 patients (82.9% males) with a mean age of 59.9±12.6 years were included in the analysis. The incidence of SF-NR was significantly higher in group B than in group A (36.4% vs 23.2%, p=0.024). However, the in-hospital MACE incidence rate was similar between the two groups (7.2% vs 7.4%, p=0.943). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that stent length and diameter, and peak troponin I level were independent risk factors for SF-NR. CONCLUSION: Excessive stent length is an independent risk factor for SF-NR, without any significant influence on the risk of MACE during hospitalization.