Drug-Eluting Stents: Technical and Clinical Progress

Drug-eluting stents (DES) demonstrated superior efficacy when compared to bare metal stents and plain-old balloon angioplasty and are nowadays used in almost all percutaneous revascularization procedures. The design of the stent platforms is constantly improving to maximize its efficacy and safety. Constant development of DES includes adoption of new materials used for scaffold production, new design types, improved overexpansion abilities, new polymers coating and, finally, improved antiproliferative agents. Especially nowadays, with the immense number of available DES platforms, it is crucial to understand how different aspects of stents impact the effect of their implantation, as subtle differences between various stent platforms could impact the most important issue-clinical outcomes. This review discusses the current status of coronary stents and the impact of stent material, strut design and coating techniques on cardiovascular outcomes.

Automated summary

Drug-eluting stents (DES) have shown superior efficacy compared to bare metal stents and balloon angioplasty, and are now widely used in percutaneous revascularization procedures. The constant development of DES includes improvements in the stent platform design, materials used, coating techniques, and antiproliferative agents. Understanding the impact of different aspects of stents on clinical outcomes is crucial, given the vast number of available DES platforms. This review discusses the current status of coronary stents and the influence of stent material, strut design, and coating techniques on cardiovascular outcomes.