Drug-Eluting Coronary-Artery Stents

Percutaneous coronary intervention is one of the most frequently performed therapeutic procedures in medicine. This review provides an overview of currently available devices, summarizes randomized evidence, and outlines clinical indications for use. Percutaneous coronary intervention, which was pioneered by Grüntzig in 1977, has become the most frequently performed therapeutic procedure in medicine. 1 The use of balloon angioplasty, which was limited by abrupt vessel closure owing to dissections and restenosis, prompted the development of stents to maintain lumen integrity. 2 Coronary stents improved procedural safety and efficacy and eliminated the need for surgical standby. 3 However, stent-mediated arterial injury elicited neointimal hyperplasia, leading to restenosis and the need for repeat revascularization in up to one third of patients. 4 Drug-eluting stents with controlled local release of antiproliferative agents have consistently reduced the risk of repeat revascularization, . . .