Late outcomes after intervention of vein grafts in diabetics with abciximab use

Objectives We sought to evaluate late clinical outcomes following elective percutaneous coronary interventions for saphenous vein graft with planned abciximab use in diabetics. Background Diabetes adversely affects long-term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention including percutaneous coronary intervention of saphenous vein grafts. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors reduce adverse outcomes of native vessel percutaneous coronary intervention in diabetics; however, their effects in diabetic patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions of saphenous vein grafts is not known. Methods We evaluated 509 elective percutaneous coronary interventions of saphenous vein grafts. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors were used in 99% of the percutaneous coronary interventions. Distal protection devices were not used. Clinical follow-up (mean 30 ± 20 months) was available in 369/397 (93%). Results Overall, procedural success rate was 97% and was similar for diabetics and non-diabetics. Procedural major adverse cardiac events occurred in 4.8% diabetics, and 4.1% non-diabetics (p = NS). Late outcomes were similar for diabetics and non-diabetics with major adverse cardiac event rates of 57.6%, and 54.9%, respectively, p = NS. Multivariate logistic regression identified graft age and the presence of thrombus as predictors of increased late major adverse cardiac events. Conclusions Following routine use of abciximab, late outcomes after percutaneous coronary interventions of saphenous vein grafts were similar for diabetics and non-diabetics suggesting that the historically observed adverse effect of diabetes on late outcomes after percutaneous coronary interventions of saphenous vein grafts may be attenuated by glycoprotein IIb/IIIa use. Selective use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor should be considered for diabetics undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions of saphenous vein grafts.