ABSTRACT
When coronary stents were introduced first by Sigwart and Puel in 1986 approximately a decade after the establishment of interventional programs, not all centres embraced the technology enthusiastically. This chapter focuses on examples of currently available coronary stent technology with respect to their various forms, functions and clinical utility. Stent structure can be broken down into a number of fundamental characteristics critical in their function and performance. Moreover, certain unique structural characteristics enable a particular stent to perform and be suitable for specific anatomic circumstances or lesion-specific situations. The concept of a degradable stent has been a theoretically attractive concept to overcome some of the problems inherent with a permanent vascular metallic prosthesis. These include risks of late stent thrombosis, restenosis and neoatherosclerosis, persistent inflammation, loss of normal vessel curvature and impaired vasomotion with potential for strut fracture. Fully bioresorbable stents must provide mechanical support to allow for remodelling over the first 3-6 months.
