Drug-Eluting Stents: Technical and Clinical Progress
Maciej Koźlik,
Jan Harpula,
Piotr J. Chuchra,
Magdalena Nowak,
Wojciech Wojakowski,
Paweł Gąsior
Affiliations
Maciej Koźlik
Division of Cardiology and Structural Heart Disease, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland
Jan Harpula
Division of Cardiology and Structural Heart Disease, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland
Piotr J. Chuchra
Students’ Scientific Society, Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland
Magdalena Nowak
Students’ Scientific Society, Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland
Wojciech Wojakowski
Division of Cardiology and Structural Heart Disease, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland
Paweł Gąsior
Division of Cardiology and Structural Heart Disease, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland
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.
