Intracoronary Imaging for In-Stent Restenosis – Ready for Clinical Routine?

Since the first human coronary stent implantation in 1986, the number of coronary stenting procedures rapidly increased and many different types of coronary stents have been introduced in the market of cardiovascular products [1]. Despite the introduction of new generation stents with superior quality (drug eluting or bioabsorbable stents) and despite the increasing experience in performing stenting procedures, the restenosis within the implanted stent, known as in-stent restenosis (ISR), continues to represent a major healthcare problem. ISR was noted in approximately 30% of cases following implantation of bare metal stents, however its incidence significantly decreased after introduction of new drug eluting stents (DES) in the recent years. [More]