Post-operative simultaneous very late two-vessel drug eluting stent thrombosis with sparing of bare metal stent in a Jehovah's witness after clopidogrel withdrawal

Abstract

Very late stent thrombosis is a feared complication after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. Several factors related to the patient, generation and type of the deployed stent, procedure, and premature antiplatelet withdrawal are known to contribute to this complication. Herein, we describe a case of a Jehovah's witness patient who developed simultaneous two-vessel 1st generation DES thrombosis 5.4 and 3.5 years after deployment [with sparing of the bare metal stent (BMS)] in the immediate post-operative period secondary to clopidogrel withdrawal. The case was complicated by ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, and a ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest requiring urgent percutaneous coronary intervention. The acute thrombosis of DESs with sparing of the BMS exemplify how they are more prone to this complication due to delayed endothelialization of stent struts and neoinitimal coverage.<Learning objective: Extreme caution should be excercised when attempting to withdraw antiplatelets immediately before surgery in patients with drug eluting stents even if the recomended 12-month period of dual antiplatelet therapy has elapsed because of the risk of very late stent thrombosis.>