Drug Eluting Stents Show Promise In Peripheral Applications

Stents were first applied in coronary arteries. The eventual progressive led physicians to use stent technology in peripheral arteries. When drug eluting stents were first introduced, their application was for coronaries. Several companies have been racing to get market approval for peripheral indications.

Three year results from a peripheral drug eluting stent study show patients had higher patency and less restenosis than bare metal stents.

In recent months, there has been some controversy whether drug eluting stents have better long-term benefits for coronaries versus the bare metal counterparts. Will this also follow for peripherals?