Stent complications

Stents are used with increasing frequency to optimize the initial and long-term outcome of interventional cardiology procedures. In contrast to conventional PTCA, stents usually provide a more predictable result. However, the use of stents is not without problems. Although subacute closure has occupied a great deal of attention in interventional cardiology, other problems are equally as important as they affect ability to deploy the stent safely, treat residual narrowing, and withdraw the stent if necessary. Knowledge of these other problems allows the interventional cardiologist to prevent them by optimizing case performance or to treat them after the fact.