Tag Archives: Benestent trial

Dear Sirs, Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity, and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a mainstay of treatment. The management of IHD has been revolutionised by major advancements in the field of coronary angioplasty, starting with the use of balloons for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in 1977 by Gruentzig.1 However, their use was limited by acute recoil (approximately 40%), vessel dissection and a high re-stenosis rate (50%). To treat the acute problems of recoil and dissection (with acute vessel closure) and reduce the rate of re-stenosis, coronary stents were introduced