Treatment of Drug-Eluting Stent Restenosis: An Emerging Challenge

Drug eluting stent (DES) restenosis has emerged as a significant clinical entity owing to the increasing use of DES in complex lesions and patients. However, to date, there is a paucity of studies that have addressed the management of DES restenosis and the resulting outcome, leaving the interventional cardiologist with a therapeutic dilemma. The purpose of this paper is therefore to provide a consise review of available data's dealing with the treatment of DES restenosis, including the outcome of patients treated for DES restenosis, the prognostic importance of the angiographic pattern and the available therapeutic modalities. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.