The purpose of this study was to compare results of delayed elective stent implantation on the infarct-related artery with conventional balloon angioplasty in 97 patients with acute myocardial infarction at 7 to 10 days after symptom onset (stenting in 45 patients, balloon angioplasty in 52 patients). In selected patients, intracoronary stent implantation on the infarct-related artery at 7 to 10 days after symptom onset of acute myocardial infarction is safe, feasible, and may reduce the the frequency of late restenosis compared with balloon angioplasty (the angiographic restenosis rate: 13% in patients with stents vs 52% in patients with balloon angioplasty, p <0.05).