Coronary-Artery Stents — Gauging, Gorging, and Gouging

Coronary stenting is now the predominant form of nonsurgical myocardial revascularization and accounts for well over 60 percent of the percutaneous coronary-revascularization procedures performed in the United States. The number of patients undergoing stenting in 1998 is estimated at 500,000, with an average of 1.7 stents implanted per patient.1 Since coronary stenting was first approved for elective implantation in late 1994, the growth in use of the procedure has been explosive. At the time of its approval, there were important drawbacks, including bleeding complications, a prolonged hospital stay, high cost, and a very restricted indication for patients with a new, . . .