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COPYRIGHT 2002 International Medical News Group
ANAHEIM, CALIF. - Drug-eluting stents may soon make interventional cardiology procedures the near equal of coronary artery bypass surgery.
Studies presented at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association show that drug-eluting stents are feasible; practical; and, in many cases, highly effective in reducing and even eliminating restenosis.
Several drugs can now be coated onto stents and exert potent local effects at the site of treated vessels, yet have negligible systemic impact. And although eluting stents work only on treated vessels and cannot prevent primary or repeat stenosis in other vessels, they may make stenting a more attractive procedure, especially for diabetic patients who run a high risk for restenosis with uncoated stents.
"This is a great day for interventional cardiologists and patients, and a very bad day for surgeons," said Dr. Jeffrey Popma, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston. His remarks capped a session where the term "zero restenosis" was repeatedly uttered by researchers who spent the last decade developing and proving the concept of drug-eluting stents.
"It is time for the pivotal trials to begin." said Dr. Popma, a member of the international team testing a paclitaxel-eluting stent. With the initial safety trial data in hand, the inquiry now...
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