ABSTRACT
Recently, sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) have been shown to markedly reduce the incidence of angiographic restenosis.8,12-16,18-22 In these devices, the metallic stent platform surface is loaded with biologically inert and mechanically resistant polymers blended with the antiproliferative agent sirolimus, which is progressively eluted from the assembly after implantation in a controlled manner. This way, percutaneous treatment can be carried out without loss of acute efficacy (since the mechanical properties of the endovascular prosthesis are maintained), while the stent itself acts as an anti-neointimal growth device.
