NEW STENTS DO BETTER THAN OLD STENTS.

The Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry ( SCAAR ), have just reported their latest report in the 9th Jan 2012 European Heart Journal. Dr Stephan James and colleagues reviewed 95,000 patients who had stents implanted. 64,631 patients with bare metal stents, 19,202 patients with the first generation DES ( Drug Eluting Stents ) ,and 10,551 patients with the second generation DES. The defined first generation as the Cypher, Taxus, and Endeavor , and the second generation as the Endeavor Resolute, Xience V or Xience Prime., Promus and the Promus Element.
They reported that DES is better than BMS ( That is for sure ), but they also reported that the second generation ( when compared to the first DES ), has 38% less restenosis, 43% less stent thrombosis, and most importantly, 23% less risk of death.
I must say that we can attest to the first two, and I do not have enough figures to attest to the last. But it must be comforting for our patients to know that the newer stents are better. I am only glad that our preferred DES are the Xience Prime / V and the Endeavor Resolute.
While in Singapore, I heard that we should be getting our disappearing DES ( the bioabsorbable, artery reparative stent by Abbott Vas. ) sometime in the middle of the year. I wonder what the price will be? Is the cost worth it for most of our patients.