Implantable vascular devices: A dream unfulfilled

From the perspective of 1985, intravascular stents brilliant future held the promise of being the showcase of advance technology in vascular implants. Serving critical applications to mitigate the number one killer of mankind, stents had the best chance at leading implant technology to the next step, away from being a simple mechanical device. Economics suggested that investment in high tech would facilitate the transition, and in the process, other vascular implantable devices such as the artificial heart, would benefit from the progress. With massive application came the awareness about limitations, mainly res…