Recent Developments in Coated Stents

Next to optimizing of stent properties and profile, coating has been thoroughly investigated over the years to enhance hemocompatibility and tissue compatibility, not only in straight forward lesions, but also in smaller vessels and long and complex lesions. This is even more important because it is has become clear that treatment of restenosis and especially in-stent restenosis still has poor results, and the best way to diminish these refractory restenotic lesions is its prevention. Ongoing trials with new drug-eluting stents (including rapamycin) may introduce a new era of improvement.