[Mid-to long-term efficacy of drug-eluting stents for vertebral artery ostial stenosis].

Objective: To assess the mid-to long-term outcomes in patients treated with drug-eluting stent specifically designed for vertebral artery origin stenosis. Methods: Patients with symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis who underwent implantation of the specific drug-eluting stents at 7 centers from January to December 2021 were enrolled. Postoperative follow-up assessments were conducted at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years, with the maximum duration of follow-up being 4 years. Endpoint events, including transient ischemic attack, stroke, and all-cause mortality, were systematically monitored primarily through telephone follow-ups, supplemented by clinical visits when necessary. The cumulative occurrence of events is evaluated by drawing Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Results: A cohort of 117 patients (with a total of 122 target vascular lesions, 123 stents were implanted) was enrolled in the study. The age of the participants (87 men and 30 women) [M (Q1, Q3)] was 65 (61, 70). The follow-up duration was (49.3±2.5) months. During the study, 20 patients (17.1%) were lost to follow-up. Ten (8.5%) endpoint events were documented, including 6 (5.1%) all-caused death, all of which were determined to be unrelated to the stent, and 4 (3.4%) cerebral ischemic events. The cerebrovascular adverse events consisted of 2 (1.7%) cerebral infarctions and 2 (1.7%) instances of in-stent restenosis or occlusion. The recurrence rate of stent-related symptoms was 2 (1.7%). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed cumulative clinical endpoint event rates of 1.7% at 1 year, 6.0% at 2 years and 8.5% at 3 years. The cumulative stent-related clinical endpoint event rates were 0.9% at 1 year and 1.7% at 3 years. Conclusions: The recurrence rate of mid- and long-term clinical endpoint events after Maurora stent implantation was observed to be relatively low. Furthermore, there appears to be a decreasing trend in the incidence of cerebrovascular adverse events, including stent-related stroke, transient ischemic attack, and restenosis.