The long-term consequences of lost intracoronary stents.

The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of lost or misplaced stents and to identify associated immediate- and long-term consequences. The study reviewed 11,881 cases with one or more intracoronary stents. From this group 40 cases were identified where stents were prematurely displaced from the stent delivery device. Sixteen were removed with bioptomes or snares. Three were removed surgically. Of the 21 remaining stents, 7 were deployed at a site remote from the target lesion and 14 were lost. Nine of the 14 were known to be below the aortoilliac bifurcation and the other 5 embolized to unknown locations. Stent loss is rare in intracoronary intervention. Removal or peripheral deployment is the best option, but there was no immediate or long-term morbidity associated with lost stents in this study.