Multivessel percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is associated with a high requirement for further revascularization procedures. Although stenting can reduce restenosis and clinical events after 1-vessel intervention, little information is available after multivessel coronary stenting. We followed up 136 patients (9% of 1,481 undergoing stenting in our center) who had had stent implantation in at least 2 different major native coronary arteries and were followed-up for >6 months. Each patient had received a mean of 2.3 +/- 0.6 stents (1.13 +/- 0.4 stents per lesion) and procedural success was 95%. In-hospital complications included 1 death, 1 Q-wave infarction, 5 non-Q-wave myocardial infarctions, and 1 repeat PTCA. After a mean of 18 +/- 13 months, 7 patients died (3 of heart failure, 4 of noncardiac causes), 2 required coronary bypass surgery, 1 had a myocardial infarction, 13 target vessel repeat PTCA, and 4 non-target vessel PTCA. Survival free of major cardiac events was 75% at 3 years. A history of heart failure, dilation of a restenotic lesion, and 3-vessel dilation were independent negative predictors of event-free survival. Angiographic follow-up was available in 86 patients: 56 (65%) were restenosis free, 23 (27%) had 1-vessel restenosis, and 6 (7%) had 2-vessel and 1 patient 3-vessel restenosis. Restenosis per vessel was 23% (41 of 177). Reference diameter, past-PTCA minimal luminal diameter, and length of the stent were independent predictors of restenosis. We conclude that multivessel stenting provides good midterm results in selected patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. Midterm events are less frequent than previously reported after balloon PTCA.