Drug-eluting stents (DES) have been viewed as a great advance over earlier stents and balloon angioplasty because they result in many fewer cases of restenosis. But enthusiasm for the first generation of DES was somewhat curbed due to reports of late stent thrombosis (ST), a rare but very dangerous complication. Now findings from a large ongoing…
FDA Approves Zilver PTX Drug-Eluting Stent For Peripheral Arterial Disease
November 15, 2012 by 1 Comment
The FDA today approved Cook Medical’s Zilver PTX stent. It is the first drug-eluting stent (DES) approved for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the superficial femoral and proximal (i.e., above the knee) popliteal artery. The new stent will provide a new treatment option for treating patients with PAD. Current treatments include exercise,…
Studies Examine Less Burdensome Dual Antiplatelet Regimens
September 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Two new studies published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology offer hope but not, yet, compelling evidence to support less burdensome requirements for dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. In the first study, Spanish investigators followed 1,622 consecutive patients who received a drug-eluting stent (DES) for one year. They found…
Xience Stents Gain European Nod For Three-Month Dual Antiplatelet Therapy
May 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The biggest drawback to drug-eluting stents has been the requirement for prolonged dual antiplatelet (DAPT) therapy following stent implantation to prevent stent thrombosis and other potential complications. The precise length of DAPT has been the subject of considerable discussion and research. Now the Xience Prime and Xience V everolimus-eluting stents have received the CE Mark…
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