Drug-eluting stents: role of stent design, delivery vehicle, and drug selection.

Increasing focus has recently been directed toward the different parameters of drug-eluting stents-stent design, delivery-vehicle materials, and drug properties-and the manner in which each of these elements may affect the function of the stents. Several specific characteristics of design may affect restenosis, although design optimization often presents a choice between acute procedural success and long-term biological stability. The influence of design parameters such as strut thickness and cell configuration is described. Polymer material has frequently been used to coat drug-eluting stents, although some agents, such as paclitaxel, can be attached directly to the stent's surface, obviating the need for a polymer layer. The properties of agents used in drug-eluting stents and how those properties affect delivery and long-term outcome are discussed, as is the influence of the disease state of the target vessel on stent safety and efficacy.