Drug-eluting stents and the future of coronary artery bypass surgery: facts and fiction.

Abstract

The treatment of patients with coronary artery disease continues to evolve. Recent, exciting data on the use of drug-eluting stents in diseased coronary vessels has generated immense enthusiasm within the interventional community leading to claims that "drug-eluting stents will put bypass surgeons out of business." However, despite promising short-term and midterm outcomes of this revolutionary new technology, valid concerns regarding long-term safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents persist. This review article evaluates current status of drug-eluting stents with special emphasis on real and potential drawbacks of this emerging percutaneous coronary interventional modality and its impact on the practice of coronary artery bypass surgery.