REVIEWS   

Minerva Cardioangiologica 2007 October;55(5):637-46

Copyright © 2007 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Percutaneous treatment of diseased saphenous vein grafts: current state-of-the-art and future directions

Vermeersch P., Agostoni P.

Antwerp Cardiovascular Institute Middelheim AZ Middelheim, Antwerp, Belgium

The percutaneous treatment of patients with obstructive atherosclerotic disease in diseased coronary saphenous vein bypass grafts still remains a challenge in interventional cardiology. We discuss the actual evidence-based knowledge for the percutaneous management of this lesion subset, focusing on the devices that are actually considered the gold standard for this treatment: bare-metal stents and distal protection devices. We also comment the negative results of the trials regarding the promising covered stent-grafts. We finally offer insights into the currently available evidence for the use of drug-eluting stents in saphenous vein grafts. These devices are potentially a promise for the successful sealing of vein graft disease, however, available long-term safety and effectiveness data are conflicting and give reason for caution.