Randomized Comparison of Sirolimus and Paclitaxel Drug-Eluting Stents for Long Lesions in the Left Anterior Descending Artery: an Intravascular Ultrasound Study

The objective of this prospective randomized study was to verify whether the superiority of the sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) in inhibiting neointimal hyperplasia could be demonstrated in complex coronary lesions. The SES was compared with the paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) in long lesions of the left anterior descending artery with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and quantitative angiography. Late luminal loss and mean neointimal hyperplasia were significantly lower in the SES group compared to the PES group and peri-stent plaque area was significantly reduced in the SES group only. Both groups had excellent IVUS and angiographic results at 9-month follow up.