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Ann Thorac Surg 2006;81:1162-1171
© 2006 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

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Review

Drug-Eluting Stents and the Future of Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: Facts and Fiction

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, United Kingdom

^_* Address correspondence to Dr Raja, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill NHS Trust, Dalnair St, Glasgow G3 8SJ, United Kingdom (Email: drrajashahzad{at}hotmail.com).

The treatment of patients with coronary artery disease continues to evolve. Recent, exciting data on the use of drug-eluting stents in diseased coronary vessels has generated immense enthusiasm within the interventional community leading to claims that "drug-eluting stents will put bypass surgeons out of business." However, despite promising short-term and midterm outcomes of this revolutionary new technology, valid concerns regarding long-term safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents persist. This review article evaluates current status of drug-eluting stents with special emphasis on real and potential drawbacks of this emerging percutaneous coronary interventional modality and its impact on the practice of coronary artery bypass surgery.