Assessing the temporal course of neointimal hyperplasia formation after different generations of drug-eluting stents.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the temporal course of neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) formation following implantation of 2 different generations of drug-eluting stents (DES).

Background: The amount of NIH following DES implantation correlates with the potency of the antiproliferative drug, its kinetic release, as well as some individual characteristics, as the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM). Recently, some publications have suggested a continuous growth of NIH following DES, which in some cases, might result in late "catch-up.