Bare metal stents enabled a reduction in the risk of early procedural complications and restenosis in comparison with balloon angioplasty alone, but introduced a new and device-specific iatrogenic condition, ie, in-stent restenosis due to increased neointimal hyperplasia. Sirolimus- and paclitaxel-eluting stents reduce restenosis and the need for new revascularizations in comparison with bare metal stents, although at the cost of a slight increase in the risk of late stent thrombosis and a need for prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy. Everolimus is an analog of sirolimus with an increased solubility. In this review, the currently available evidence for everolimus-eluting stents is revised, including randomized trials against bare metal stents, and head-to-head trials comparing this stent with other drug-eluting stents.
Keywords: coronary stents; everolimus; restenosis; review.