1916DAI K et al.
Circulation JournalOfficial Journal of the Japanese Circulation Society http://www. j-circ.or.jp
Editorial p 1895Coronary angioscopy permits direct visualization of the intracoronary structure. It has been demonstrated that coronary angioscopy is a useful tool for estimating the neointimal coverage (NC) of stent struts, not only quantitatively by showing the coverage grade but also qualitatively by showing the plaque's yellow color (YC) grade. Several studies have compared the angioscopic findings of 2 specific types of stent, but no previous study has reported a comprehensive comparison of the he drug-eluting stent (DES) has dramatically reduced the risk of restenosis and target vessel revascularization as compared with bare metal stents (BMS). 1-3 Because the 1st-generation DES (1st-DES) was used widely around the world, concern was raised of an increased risk of late stent thrombosis after 1st-DES implantation. 4,5 The 2nd-generation DES (2nd-DES) has been designed with the goal of improving safety, efficacy, and device performance. Several clinical studies have demonstrated that 2nd-DES are associated with favorable clinical outcomes, including lower incidence of very late stent thrombosis, than 1st-DES. Background: No previous study has reported a comprehensive comparison of the chronic angioscopic findings after bare metal stent (BMS), and 1st-and 2nd-generation drug-eluting stents (DES).