The Role of Intravascular Ultrasound to Guide Drug-Eluting Stents Implantation

Serial IVUS has demonstrated significant differences in intimal hyperplasia (IH) volume between drug-eluting stent (DES) and bare metal stents (BMS) in recent clinical trials. It has also been reported that IVUS is a useful tool in determining optimal DES implantation, especially for diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Recent data have also suggested a critical role for, IVUS guidance in reduction of risk for DES thrombosis. IVUS has been invaluable in the elucidation of DES effects on the arterial wall, offering insight into the potential mechanisms of DES failure. Therefore, in this current manuscript, we review the potential benefits of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) during drug eluting stent (DES) implantation.