What physicians should know about coronary stents.

Coronary stents are widely used for treating stable angina, unstable angina, and acute myocardial infarction. Stents are highly effective in relieving angina pectoris, reducing myocardial ischemia, and improving quality of life for patients. In the vast majority of cases, stents can be implanted with very low morbidity and mortality. Concerns over the risk of stent thrombosis have drawn appropriate attention to deployment technique, patient-specific risk, and the importance of ensuring compliance with dual anti-platelet therapy. This article describes the types of stents on the market and the benefits associated with each, the type of patients who can benefit from stents, the associated medical therapy needed for their use, as well as recent controversies surrounding the use of stents.