Newly available and recent advances in drug-eluting stents

The introduction of drug-eluting stents has revolutionized the treatment of coronary artery disease. First-generation stents, however, were associated with relatively high revascularization rates and the risk of stent thrombosis. This has led to a worldwide search for improvements in stent technology that will reduce adverse cardiac events following stent implantation while providing optimal treatment. Here, the authors discuss recent advances in stent technology from improvements in stent platform and stent polymer to newer mechanisms of drug delivery and the incorporation of proendothelizing agents. The authors also introduce some of the newly available stents and discuss the evidence associated with their use in clinical practice.