A view of vascular stents.

D espite innovative new techniques in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) during the past 10 years, restenosis rates continue to occur at about 30% in subtotal lesions,' about 50% in chronic total occlusions,2 and up to 80% in saphenous vein bypass grafts.3 Although mortality remains acceptably low, urgent bypass surgery after unsuccessful angioplasty continues to be necessary in up to 4% of patients with a significant morbidity.4 The purpose of this article is to evaluate vascular stents as a possible solution to abrupt closure and restenosis in humans. Early experimental work and