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ESPITE MAJOR IMPROVEm e n t s i n a n t i p l a t e l e t therapy, thrombotic events remain the primary cause of death after percutaneous coronary interventions. 1,2 Sirolimus-eluting stents and polymer-based paclitaxel-eluting stents have been shown to reduce neointimal hyperplasia and risk of restenosis without increasing the risk of stent thrombosis. [3][4][5][6][7] Operators are now using drug-eluting stents for a wide variety of clinical and anatomic situations, many of which have not been evaluated in randomized studies. [8][9][10] We analyzed the incidence, predictors, and For editorial comment see p 2154.

In selected patients, placement of an intracoronary stent, as compared with balloon angioplasty, results in an improved rate of procedural success, a lower rate of angiographically detected restenosis, a similar rate of clinical events after six months, and a less frequent need for revascularization of the original coronary lesion.

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