Percutaneous endovascular stenting: development, investigation and application

Percutaneous endovascular stenting (PES), a new and alternative approach of interventional radiologic techniques, has encouraging potentials for management of vascular obstructive diseases. The most important role of PES is to prevent the risk of abrupt closure and to reduce the rate of early and late post-angioplasty restenosis (PARS) of PTA. Because of different working mechanisms, various stents show different advantages and disadvantages. Specific indications of PES are: (1) further compensation for failed PTA, (2) management of complications due to PTA and (3) primary treatment of vascular obstructive diseases. Based on a preliminary comparison with atherectomy, laser angioplasty and PTA, PES seems to provide an advantage for long-term patency of large caliber vessels such as iliac arteries, while more significant problems still exist in PES with small caliber vessels such as femoral-popliteal and coronary arteries. Further comparative clinical research is required to establish the utility of PES among other intraluminal techniques of vascular interventions.