Drug-eluting stent
A drug-eluting stent (DES) is a tube made of a mesh-like material used to treat narrowed arteries in medical procedures both mechanically (by providing a supporting scaffold inside the artery) and pharmacologically (by slowly releasing a pharmaceutical compound). DES is inserted into a narrowed artery using a balloon. Once the balloon inside the stent is inflated, the stent expands, pushing against the artery wall, keeping the artery open, thereby improving blood flow. The mesh design allows cells to grow through and around it, securing it in place.
| Drug-eluting stent | |
|---|---|
An example of a drug-eluting stent. This is the TAXUS Express2 Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System, which releases paclitaxel. The system consists of a catheter delivery element, an inflation system, and the drug-eluting stent itself. They are marketed as one integrated system. | |
| ICD-9-CM | 00.55 |
| MeSH | D054855 |
DES is different from other types of stents because it has a coating that delivers medication directly to the arterial wall. The stent slowly releases a drug to prevent re-blockage of the artery. The release of the drug from the stent to prevent the growth of scar tissue and reduce the risk of stent restenosis, which is the narrowing of the stented area of an artery after treatment. DES is fully integrated with a catheter delivery system and is viewed as one integrated medical device.
DESs are commonly used in the treatment of narrowed arteries in the heart (coronary artery disease), but also elsewhere in the body, especially the legs (peripheral artery disease). Over the last three decades, coronary stenting has matured into a primary minimally invasive treatment tool in managing CAD. Coronary artery stenting is inherently tied to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures. PCI is a minimally invasive procedure performed via a catheter (not by open-chest surgery), it is the medical procedure used to place a DES in narrowed coronary arteries. PCI procedures are performed by an interventional cardiologist using fluoroscopic imaging techniques to see the location of the required DES placement. PCI uses larger peripheral arteries in the arms or the legs to thread a catheter/DES device through the arterial system and place the DES in the narrowed coronary artery or arteries. Multiple stents are often used depending on the degree of blockage and the number of diseased coronary arteries that are being treated.