Angiographic pattern of in-stent restenosis (ISR) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation different to that after bare metal stent (BMS), but their subsequent TLR rate was similar to both types of DES.
An investigational bioabsorbable coronary artery stent, in its first human trials, showed acceptable safety, with efficacy better than bare-metal devices but well short of drug-eluting devices, Dutch researchers said here.
We must optimize stent deployment & maintain a registry of how well (or poorly) we use drug-eluting stents. Instead of asking “Which stent?” or “How much anti-platelet therapy?” we must ask “How effectively are we deploying our stents?”