Angioplasty

In the past two decades angioplasty techniques and materials have evolved to combat the problem of restenosis, the body's natural reaction to the controlled injury of angioplasty, in which arteries produce smooth muscle cells, similar to the formation of scar tissue, that can create re-blocking of the treated artery. Today interventional cardiologists are finding great promise in devices sometimes referred to as "coated" or "medicated" stents. These drug-eluting stents are normal metal stents that are coated with drugs known to interfere with the process of restenosis (reblocking).

Angioplasty is one of the most commonly performed medical procedures worldwide, with more than half a million stents placed in patients' clogged arteries annually in the United States alone.