Stent thrombosis: an overview

Abstract

Stent thrombosis is a challenging problem following percutaneous coronary intervention that can lead to serious clinical consequences, such as death and acute myocardial infarction. Its pathophysiology is not yet completely known, and there are several causes suggested, such as incomplete stent endothelization, presence of polymers and late incomplete stent apposition. One of the main predictors is the early discontinuation of dual antiplatelet therapy. Stent improvements related to their design, with more friendly metallic platforms, thinner biocompatible or biodegradable polymers, absence of polymers, and even stents manufactured with bioabsorbable materials, could make the percutaneous procedure much safer and effective, allowing its application in increasingly complex anatomic and clinical scenarios, with low thrombosis rates.