This Article Free upon publication Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dangas, G. Articles by Kuepper, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dangas, G. Articles by Kuepper, F. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Angioplasty Related Collections Restenosis Type 2 diabetes Catheter-based coronary and valvular interventions: other Catheter-based coronary interventions: stents CV surgery: coronary artery disease

(Circulation. 2002;105:2586.)
© 2002 American Heart Association, Inc.

Cardiology Patient Page

Restenosis: Repeat Narrowing of a Coronary Artery

Prevention and Treatment

George Dangas, MD; Frank Kuepper, MD

From the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute, New York, NY (G.D.), and Charité, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany (F.K.).

Correspondence to George Dangas, MD, PhD, Cardiovascular Research Foundation, Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute, 55 East 59th Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10022. E-mail gdangas@crf.org

A Angioplasty is a safe and effective way to unblock coronary arteries. During this procedure, a catheter is inserted into the groin or arm of the patient and guided forward through the aorta and into the coronary arteries of the heart. There, blocked arteries can be opened with a balloon positioned at the tip of the catheter. Initially, angioplasty was performed only with balloon catheters, but technical advances have been made and improved patient outcome has been achieved with the placement of small metallic spring-like devices called "stents" (Figure 1) at the site of the blockage. The implanted stent serves as a scaffold that keeps the artery open.

View larger version (130K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 1. Size of an expanded coronary stent in relation to a dime. The stent is 18 mm in length and 3.5 mm in diameter.

Angioplasty and stenting techniques are widely used around the world and provide an alternative option to medical therapy and bypass surgery for improving blood flow to the heart muscle. There are, however, limitations associated with angioplasty and stenting, one of which is called "restenosis."

What does restenosis mean?

Restenosis occurs when the treated vessel becomes blocked again. It usually occurs within 6 months after the initial procedure.¹ Compared with balloon angioplasty alone, where the chance of restenosis is 40%, stents reduce the chance of restenosis to 25%.^2,3 Therefore, the majority of patients having angioplasty today are treated with stents. Restenosis can occur after the use of stents, and physicians refer to this as "in-stent restenosis."

Why does in-stent restenosis happen?

When a stent is . . . [Full Text of this Article]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Z. Chen, F. Y. Lee, K. N. Bhalla, and J. Wu Potent Inhibition of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-Induced Responses in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells by BMS-354825 (Dasatinib) Mol. Pharmacol., May 1, 2006; 69(5): 1527 - 1533. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]