Interventional Cardiology and Angiology

• Restenosis occurs commonly after coronary angioplasty, but the causes of restenosis are poorly understood.
• The use of one of the new interventional devices, such as the atherectomy catheter, the excimer laser, stent or rotablator has also not succeeded in preventing restenosis.
• The incidence of restenosis depends on the interventional procedure and still varies between 22 and 32%. (BENESTENT, STRESS)
• Although many of the risk factors for restenosis have been identified, most of these are difficult to influence and we are unable to predict reliably which patients or vessel segments will develop restenosis.
• Although improvements have occurred in the angioplasty tech-nique, post-PTCA restenosis leading to repeat coronary interventions has remained dis-appointingly high. Only coronary stent implantation has established its role as an approach to prevent restenosis, though this technology has not solved the problem.
• Until now, there has not been an interventional or pharmacological solution to restenosis.