BACKGROUND: In Brazil, despite the recommendations of the Brazilian Society of Hemodynamics and Interventional Cardiology, the National Health System has not yet approved the use of drug-eluting stents. In percutaneous coronary interventions performed in the public and part of the private health care system, bare metal stents are used as the only option. Therefore, new information on bare metal stents is of great importance. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the influence of the alloy and the profile of coronary stents on late loss and restenosis rates 6 months after implantation in patients with multivessel coronary disease. METHODS: Single center, randomized and prospective study comparison of cobalt-chromium versus stainless steel stent implantation in 187 patients with multivessel coronary disease. At least one cobalt-chromium and one stainless steel stent were implanted per patient. RESULTS: Mean age of patients was 59.5 + 10.1 years with a prevalence of males (66.3%) and patients with acute coronary syndrome (56%). Baseline clinical characteristics were similar with hypertension in 146 (78%), dyslipidemia in 85 (45.5%) and diabetes in 68 (36.4%). Two hundred and twenty-nine cobalt-chromium and 284 stainless steel stents were implanted. Angiographic variables showed no statistically significant difference. Angiographic follow-up to 6 months after implantation showed similar late loss and restenosis rates. CONCLUSION: The use of two different alloys, stainless steel and cobalt-chrome stents, in the same patient and in the same vessel produced similar 6-month restenosis and late loss rates.

FUNDAMENTO: O Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) estabelece que a angioplastia coronariana com o implante de duplo stent não deve exceder 20% das angioplastias, resultando na necessidade de escalonar a maioria dos procedimentos nos pacientes com doença multiarterial. OBJETIVO: O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar os valores remunerados pelo SUS para a obtenção da revascularização miocárdica percutânea completa em pacientes do SUS com doença multiarterial relacionados ao número de procedimentos necessários e de stents implantados. MÉTODOS: Foram incluídos 141 pacientes com doença coronariana multiarterial, submetidos à revascularização completa com sucesso pelo implante de stent, com coronariografia aos 6 meses pós-implante. A revascularização completa foi definida como o tratamento percutâneo de todas as lesões com percentual de estenose > 70%, em vasos com diâmetro > 2 mm. Para análise dos custos, foram considerados os valores da Tabela SIH/SUS de R$ 2.263,77 para o procedimento e R$ 2.034,23 por stent implantado. RESULTADOS: No período de 07/2006 a 12/2007 foram implantados 416 stents em 141 pacientes. A idade média foi de 59,7 ± 9,9 anos, com predomínio do sexo masculino (68,1%). O número de vasos foi 356 e o número de lesões 416. Para a obtenção da revascularização completa pelo implante de stent coronáriano foi necessário o escalonamento em até 4 procedimentos. O tempo médio entre a 1ª e 2ª, 2ª e 3ª e 3ª e 4ª angioplastias foi de 45,8 ± 37,7, 55,4 ± 55,3 e 33,5 ± 19,1 dias, respectivamente. CONCLUSÃO: A revascularização percutânea completa em pacientes do SUS com doença coronariana multiarterial, realizada em sua grande maioria de forma escalonada, ocasiona considerável elevação de gastos públicos devido ao aumento do número de procedimentos.

BACKGROUND: The Brazilian Public Health System (SUS, acronym in Portuguese) establishes that coronary angioplasty with the double implant stent must not exceed 20% of the angioplasties, resulting in the need of assigning most of the procedures in patients with multiarterial disease. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to assess the paid values by the SUS in order to obtain the complete percutaneous myocardial revascularization in the SUS patients with the multiarterial disease, related to the number of necessary procedures and of implanted stents. METHODS: A total of 141 patients with multiarterial coronary disease, submitted to a successful complete revascularization, were included by the stent implant with coronariography in a 6-month period of post-implant. The complete revascularization was defined as the percutaneous treatment of all stenosis > 70% in vessels with diameter > 2 mm. For the costs analysis, the values from the Sistema de Informações Hospitalares (SIH) of the SUS table were considered as R$ 2,263.77, for the procedure; and R$ 2,034.23, per implanted stent. RESULTS: In the period from 7/2006 to 12/2007, 416 stents were implanted in 141 patients. The mean age was of 59.7 ± 9.9 years old, prevailing the male sex (68.1%). The number of vessels was 356 and the lesions number corresponded to 416. In order to obtain the complete revascularization by the coronary stent implant, it was necessary to stagger in up to four procedures. The mean time between the 1st and 2nd, 2nd and 3rd and 3rd and 4th angioplasties was of 45.8 ± 37.7; 55.4 ± 55.3 and 33.5 ± 19.1 days, respectively. CONCLUSION: The complete percutaneous revascularization in patients from the SUS with the multiarterial coronary disease, carried out in most of them staggered, causes considerable elevation of public expenses due to the increase of procedures' number.

INTRODUÇÃO: Elevado grau de estresse emocional é usualmente encontrado no atendimento de pacientes que aguardam a realização de angioplastia coronária. Nosso objetivo principal foi avaliar a eficácia do atendimento psicológico na redução do estresse emocional em pacientes submetidos a angioplastia coronária. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de estudo prospectivo, sequencial, randomizado. A casuística da presente análise foi composta de 128 pacientes portadores de insuficiência coronária aguda ou crônica, divididos em dois grupos: grupo A, 66 pacientes que receberam atendimento psicológico hospitalar pré-intervenção, e grupo B, 62 pacientes que realizaram angioplastia coronária sem atendimento psicológico hospitalar. Os dois grupos responderam a um inventário específico para avaliar se havia presença ou não de estresse emocional antes e após a angioplastia. RESULTADOS: Na repetição do inventário, observou-se que no grupo A 74% dos pacientes não apresentavam estresse emocional e 26% continuavam com estresse. No grupo B, na repetição do inventário, observou-se que 6% dos pacientes não apresentavam estresse emocional e 94% continuavam com estresse. CONCLUSÕES: O atendimento psicológico em pacientes submetidos a angioplastia coronária foi eficaz na redução do estresse.

BACKGROUND: High rates of emotional stress are usually observed in the care of patients waiting for coronary angioplasty. Our main objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological treatment in reducing emotional stress in patients undergoing coronary angioplasty. METHODS: This is a prospective, sequential, randomized study. This study included 128 patients with acute or chronic coronary artery disease who were divided into two groups: group A included 66 patients who received psychological treatment prior to coronary angioplasty, and group B with 62 patients who underwent coronary angioplasty without psychological treatment. Both groups answered a specific questionnaire to assess whether there was emotional stress prior and after angioplasty. RESULTS: When the questionnaire was repeated, it was observed that in group A, 74% of the patients did not have emotional stress, whereas it was present in 26% of the patients. In group B, when the questionnaire was repeated, 6% of the patients did not have emotional stress, whereas it was present in 94% of them. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological treatment in patients undergoing coronary angioplasty was effective in reducing stress.

INTRODUÇÃO: Lesões coronárias em bifurcação ainda representam um desafio ao tratamento percutâneo, com sucesso do procedimento abaixo do esperado e altas taxas de reestenose. A técnica de pull-back é uma opção no tratamento de lesões coronárias de bifurcações que apresentam acometimento isolado do óstio de ramos laterais, embora seus resultados a médio prazo ainda não sejam conhecidos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os resultados angiográficos iniciais e aos seis meses com essa técnica em nossa casuística. MÉTODO: A técnica consiste no posicionamento de duas guias, seguido do stent no ramo lateral e do balão no vaso principal encobrindo a origem do ramo. Após a insuflação do balão no vaso principal, o stent é tracionado em direção ao vaso principal até contato com o balão e, então, liberado. RESULTADOS: Foram tratados 37 pacientes consecutivos. Os ramos diagonais foram os mais freqüentemente abordados (70,3%). O diâmetro de referência dos ramos laterais foi de 2,51 ± 0,37 mm e a extensão da lesão, de 11,1 ± 3,7 mm. A pressão de liberação dos stents no ramo lateral foi de 12,8 ± 1,9 atm e a pressão de insuflação do balão no vaso principal, de 7,8 ± 0,9 atm. O sucesso do implante ocorreu em todos os procedimentos. Foram submetidos a coronariografia tardia 22 (59,5%) pacientes, tendo sido observada reestenose no ramo lateral em nove (40,9%) pacientes e desenvolvimento de lesões > 50% no vaso principal em sete (31,8%). CONCLUSÃO: Lesões isoladas localizadas no óstio de ramos laterais tratadas com stent pela técnica de pull-back apresentaram elevadas taxas de sucesso do procedimento. No seguimento a médio prazo, entretanto, observou-se elevada taxa de reestenose no ramo lateral e alto risco de desenvolvimento de uma nova obstrução no vaso principal.

INTRODUCTION: Bifurcated coronary lesions are still a challenge to the percutaneous treatment, with a lower than expected success rate and high rates of restenosis. The pull-back technique is an option for the treatment of coronary lesions in bifurcations that compromises exclusively the ostium of lateral branches, but its middle term results are still not known. The aim of this study is to assess the initial and 6-month angiographic results of this technique in our casuistic. METHOD: The technique consists in the positioning of two guide-wires, followed by the stent in the lateral branch and the balloon in the main vessel, covering the origin of the branch. After insufflating the balloon in the main vessel, the stent is pulled back towards the main vessel until it touches the balloon, and then implanted. RESULTS: Thirty-seven consecutive patients were treated. The diagonal branches were the most commonly treated (70.3%). The reference diameter of the lateral branches was 2.51 ± 0.37 mm and the extension of the lesion 11.1 ± 3.7 mm. The release pressure of the stents within the lateral branch was 12.8 ± 1.9 atm and the insufflation pressure of the balloon in the main vessel was 7.8 ± 0.9 atm. The stent was successfully implanted in all procedures. Twenty-two (59.5%) patients were submitted to late coronariography and restenosis was observed in the lateral branch in 9 (40.9%) patients, and the development of lesions > 50% in the main vessel was observed in 7 (31.8%) patients. CONCLUSION: Isolated lesions found in the ostial of lateral branches treated with the "pull-back" stent implantation technique presented high rates of procedural success. However, in the middle term follow-up, a high restenosis rate in the lateral branch was observed, as well as a high risk of developing a new obstruction in the main vessel.