Clopidogrel pretreatment before coronary stenting

Balloon angioplasty and stenting constitute two major achievements in the treatment of coronary artery disease. Since the introduction of coronary stents in interventional cardiology, their use has increased greatly. It is currently estimated that about 80% of more than 1.2 million percutaneous coronary interventions annually performed in the USA involve stent placement.¹ Along with improvements in stent design and implantation technique, the development of an effective and safe, periprocedural, antithrombotic regimen has been crucial for the widespread use of stenting during percutaneous coronary interventions.