Stent and Stent-graft Development

Present and Future

Abstract

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) using stent and stent-graft has advanced markedly in recent years. Recently, hemodynamic modification by means of flow diversion is increasingly used for treating aneurysms. For this treatment, the stent is placed in the parent vessel and then the aneurysm embolization is completed by thrombus formation as a result of the stagnant flow in the aneurysm.
These endovascular devices must have a high biocompatibility to prevent damage to vascularized tissue such as vessel dissection and rupture. To minimize these complications, various stents and stent-grafts have been developed by biomechanical and physiological approaches. However, some clinical problems such as endoleak and in-stent thrombosis are still reported for treated aneurysms. Therefore, highly biocompatible stents and stent-grafts that have mechanical flexibility and haemocomaptibility are required for aneurysm stenting.
In this article, we briefly reviewed the developmental history of stents and stent-grafts for aneurysm treatment. Moreover, we proposed our original development methodology based on our research and discussed medical-engineering collaborations for progressive stent and stent-graft technologies in the future.