Stents have revolutionized the treatment of arterial disease. Acting as a supporting scaffold, these small mesh devices are now routinely inserted into arteries where the blood flow has become dangerously restricted. While coronary artery stenting is now relatively mature, significant scientific and technological challenges still remain. Overall, however, the revolutionary success of coronary artery stenting has led to the emergence of stenting technology for the carotid, neural, and peripheral vasculature. And the adaptability of the stent concept has opened horizons beyond the vasculature, with stent technology now being developed for, amongst others, pulmonary, gastro-intestinal, and structural heart applications (e.g., transcatheter aortic valve implantation stents).
In relation to coronary stents, one of the most fertile technological growth areas is biodegradable stents; here there is the possibility to generate stents that will break down in the body once the initial necessary scaffolding period is past (6–12 months [1]) and when...
