Restenosis after vascular reconstruction.

About 20-50% of vascular reconstructions used for restoration of circulation in atherosclerotic vessels fail because of restenosis. Despite progress in both experimental and clinical studies, the underlying mechanism of restenosis remains unclear. This has presented a problem for the targeting of pharmacological therapies, and so far the only effective cure for restenosis remains repetition of the operative treatment. However, the subsequent reconstructions are also subject to luminal narrowing. New approaches in preventing restenosis may involve identifying the patients most likely to be at risk, and treating them selectively with novel suppressive agents, or with combinations of already tested agents.