Coating defects in polymer-coated drug-eluting stents

Vascular stenting has a great attention as a treatment for coronary arteries diseases as compared with percutaneous balloon angioplasty. In-stent restenosis and thrombosis are side effects resulting from using bare metal stent (BMS). Employing platelet therapy allowed to reduce the rate of thrombosis, however, the rate of restenosis remains a major problem. In 2002, drug-eluting stents (DESs) were introduced as an effort to reduce the restenosis. The commercially available DESs continue to suffer from coating defects that might lead to a series of adverse effects. Most importantly, multiple concerns remain regarding the polymer coating integrity on metal surfaces or the relation of polymer irregularities to long-term adverse events.