Coronary Stents: The Impact of Technological Advances on Clinical Outcomes

Marco G. Mennuni, Paolo A. Pagnotta, Giulio G. Stefanini

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) were proposed in the late 1970s as an alternative to surgical coronary artery bypass grafting for the treatment of coronary artery disease. Important technological progress has been made since. Balloon angioplasty was replaced by bare metal stents, which allowed to permanently scaffold the coronary vessel avoiding acute recoil and abrupt occlusion. Thereafter, the introduction of early generation drug-eluting stents (DES) has significantly improved clinical outcomes, primarily by markedly reducing the risk of restenosis. New generation DES with thinner stent struts, novel durable or biodegradable polymer coatings, and new limus antiproliferative agents, have further improved upon the safety and efficacy profile of early generation DES. The present article aims to review the impact of technological advances on clinical outcomes in the field of PCI with coronary stents, and to provide a brief overview on clinical margins of improvement and unmet needs of available DES.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)488-496
Number of pages9
JournalAnnals of Biomedical Engineering
Volume44
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 1 2016

Keywords

  • Coronary artery disease
  • Coronary stents
  • Drug-eluting stents
  • Myocardial revascularization
  • Percutaneous coronary interventions

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biomedical Engineering

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