Angiographic and clinical outcomes of polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent use in significant coronary perforations

Coronary perforations remain a rare but life-threatening complication of percutaneous coronary intervention. In the setting of complex coronary lesions, 14 of 25 consecutive perforations related to percutaneous coronary intervention were managed with stents covered with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and 11 were managed conventionally with reversal of anticoagulation and prolonged balloon inflation. Procedural success was achieved in 71.4% (10 of 14 perforations) of the PTFE arm compared with 27.3% (3 of 11 perforations) in the standard management arm (p = 0.047). Smaller final percent diameter stenosis and postprocedural cessation of dye extravasation were achieved with PTFE-covered stents. No delayed cardiac tamponade or in-hospital mortality was reported among patients in the PTFE group.