Indications of drug eluting stents

The publication in 2001 of the first in-man results showing zero restenosis after sirolimus eluting stent implantation produced enormous excitement in the cardiological community. Today, both sirolimus and paclitaxel eluting stents have been shown in randomized trials to reduce restenosis as compared with conventional metallic stents. However, since drug eluting stents become available in Europe very little has changed in the every life of almost all interventional laboratories in Europe. The limitation currently impeding more widespread use of the new technology is nontechnical, nonmedical but economic. The high price of drug eluting stents relative to bare stents has been an obstacle to more widespread utilization of drug eluting stents.