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Coated Vs. Uncoated Stents

Angioplasty is a type of surgery performed to open narrowed or blocked arteries in the heart. During angioplasty a surgical device called a stent may be used to reinforce coronary arteries and increase blood flow from the heart. Stents may be plain or drug-coated and are left in place after angioplasty.

  1. What Is a Stent?

    • Angioplasty became the standard treatment for coronary disease in the 1970s. However, the recurrence rate of blockage was very high. In 1986, a French surgeon inserted the first stent made of plain wire mesh. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the stent for use in the United States in 1994. A stent is inserted into the coronary artery during angioplasty and the surgeon inflates a balloon which expands the stent against the artery wall.

    Uncoated Stents

    • The first stents were uncoated bare metal. Stents cut the recurrence of arterial blockage in the first six months from 40 percent to 20 percent. Uncoated stents are still in use.

    Coated Stents

    • In the early 2000s, coated or drug-eluting stents came into use. The metal is coated with a time-release drug delivering a steady dose of medication helping prevent recurrence of the arterial blockage.

    Coated Vs. Uncoated

    • Between 2003 and 2006, the FDA issued warnings about increased risk of blood clots in patients using coated stents. Studies continue (as of 2011), but the general consensus is that coated stents are safe when sized and installed properly. Another consideration is cost; coated stents are approximately three times more expensive than uncoated. As with all medical procedures, patients need to confer with a doctor before deciding on a medical procedure.

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