A stent, once implanted, stays in the patient’s body forever. Stent technologies are complex and all stents are not same. Each brand undergoes varied innovation and testing procedures.

Therefore, it is important that a good quality stent, with a proven safety and efficacy profile from long-term clinical data from various clinical trials to be selected for the patients. DES brands approved by US FDA offer the most robust technology, stringent approval process and best clinical evidence.

The key expectations from a stent include - Good deliverability and flexibility; good scaffolding; high radial strength with minimum recoil; good visibility; minimal foreshortening; side branch accessibility; appropriate metal to artery ratio; bio-compatibility; optimal stent delivery system; variety of size and lengths; drug and polymer.

Along with all of these factors the comorbidity of the patient and lesion should be taken into account, so it is very important to select a stent which has an indication approval such as Diabetes Mellitus, CTO, ACS etc which is suitable for the lesion and the patient.