Funneling: enhancing results of small-vessel stenting

Until October 2008, coronary drug-eluting stents with a diameter of < or =2.5 mm were not approved by the FDA. Target vessels of < or =2 mm in diameter pose a major challenge in view of high restenosis rates when stented bare metal stents (BMS) are used and distal edge dissection when oversized stents are deployed. Described is a method ("funneling") to optimize stenting of small vessels. This strategy combines stenting the distal part of the lesion with short (8-12 mm length) 2-mm bare metal stent while stenting with a larger-diameter (> or =2.5 mm) drug-eluting stent (DES) with considerable DES-BMS overlap (leaving only the distal 4-6 mm of the BMS not overlapped by a DES). The two stents create a funnel that is for the most part drug eluting. With funneling, both drug elution and larger diameter are attained, minimizing both edge dissection and restenosis.