OBJECTIVEIntravascular ultrasound (IVUS) was used to compare the effects on neointimal hyperplasia inhibition between national made Firebird stents and Cypher stents in patients with coronary artery disease.

METHODSFrom May 2003 to March 2007, 215 patients with 317 native lesions received either Firebird stent (147 lesions of 108 patients, Firebird group) or Cypher stent implantation (138 lesions of 107 patients, Cypher group). Quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and IVUS were performed at one-year follow-up.

RESULTSThe baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics between the two groups were similar, but post procedural minimal lumen diameter was significantly larger in Firebird group than that in Cypher group [(2.88 +/- 0.43) mm vs. (2.78 +/- 0.33) mm, P < 0.05]. follow-up QCA results showed that in-stent late loss [(0.17 +/- 0.29) mm vs. (0.16 +/- 0.27) mm, P > 0.05] and in-segment late loss [(0.18 +/- 0.36) mm vs. (0.20 +/- 0.32) mm, P > 0.05] was similar between Firebird group and Cypher group, while stent cross sectional area (CSA) [(6.99 +/- 2.25) mm(2) vs. (6.46 +/- 1.71) mm(2), P < 0.05], lumen CSA [(6.89 +/- 2.30) mm(2) vs. (6.36 +/- 1.73) mm(2), P < 0.05], stent volume [(162.5 +/- 68.9) m(3) vs. (140.8 +/- 57.9) mm(3), P < 0.01], lumen volume [(160.4 +/- 69.5) mm(3) vs. (138.6 +/- 57.6) mm(3), P < 0.01] and minimal stent CSA [(5.40 +/- 1.85) mm(2) vs. (4.92 +/- 1.43) mm(2), P < 0.05] were larger in Firebird group than those in Cypher group. IVUS analysis showed that there was no significant difference in neointimal hyperplasia volume [(2.09 +/- 5.46) mm(3) vs. (2.23 +/- 6.50) mm(3), P > 0.05] and percentage of volume obstruction [(1.68 +/- 5.84)% vs. (1.59 +/- 4.10)%, P > 0.05] between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONImplantation of Firebird stent was associated with low restenosis rate and both Firebird and Cypher stents equally and effectively inhibited neointimal hyperplasia.