ABSTRACT
Randomized clinical trials have revealed a significant reduction in angiographic restenosis rate (>50% diameter stenosis) when adjunctive stenting was performed after conventional coronary angioplasty.1,2 Completely in line with previous experimental observations,3 this beneficial effect of stenting was not related to inhibition of the neointimal cellular proliferation following vascular injury but simply the mechanical result of over-stretching the treated vessel segment. In addition, the reduced restenosis rate was obtained using a stringent antithrombotic regimen leading to an excess in bleeding complications and prolonged hospitalization. Both these considerations are now boosting the search for stent coatings suited to deliver high local intramural concentrations of antiproliferative and antithrombotic agents as well.
