[Surface coatings to avoid dual antiplatelet therapy]

The development of microstents for aneurysm treatment has greatly expanded endovascular aneurysm therapy. Due to the increased amount of foreign material, the use of such stents is associated with an increased risk of thrombus formation and therewith the associated risk of ischemic stroke. For this reason, various surface coatings have recently been developed. The primary aim of these coatings is to reduce the foreign matter-mediated platelet adhesion to the stent surfaces. The potential reduction of dual antiplatelet therapy when using coated stents was recently discussed. But currently, no neurointerventional guidelines or recommendations endorse the stent implantation under single antiplatelet therapy. This article describes the different coatings in the field of neurointervention and their mode of action.