State-of-the-Art Review on Finite Element Analysis Applied to Ultrathin-Strut Drug-Eluting Stents: Examining the Present and Looking Ahead to the Future

The latest drug-eluting stents (DESs) are the gold standard for patient treatment during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The latest advancements in DES innovation have resulted in the development of new stent technologies with reduced thickness in the struts. The new DES design, ultrathin-strut DESs, features struts measuring less than 70 μm in thickness. The evidence for these devices is derived from observational studies, extensive meta-analyses, and randomized trials with long-term outcomes. The investigation is focused on determining the comparative performance of ultrathin-strut DESs and conventional new-generation DESs across various clinical settings and patient lesion profiles. The objective of the seminar is to examine recent advancements in the use of very thin DESs and the potential of computational modeling in coronary arteries during PCI. An analysis of the mechanical performance of ultrathin DESs has been conducted in terms of radial expansion and stresses within the stent-vessel system. Residual stresses generated by the crimping process will also be considered.