[Stent implantation in coronary arteries--current status]

Intracoronary stents have improved the safety and efficacy of transcatheter cardiovascular therapy. They can reverse acute vessel or graft closure during coronary intervention. Certain devices reduce the rate of restenosis and need for repeat interventional procedures compared with PTCA alone in selected patients. However caution is strongly recommended in generalising these findings to other situations than for which coronary stenting is considered. The rapid proliferation and application of this technique to very large groups of patients without supporting data should be reconsidered. Intermediate and longterm follow up date are not yet available.