At one year, TLR rates in the Korean registry were 4.1%, with very low rates of death (0.6%), AMI (0.4%), stroke (0.5%), and stent thrombosis (0.4%). Experts say the results are encouraging, but not enough to justify shortening dual antiplatelet therapy duration with this device.

Cheerfully dubbed "a resource for communication between physicians," the SYNTAX "angiographic tool" is meant to help physicians, surgeons, and patients decide on whether stent or surgery is best for their particular flavor of complex coronary artery disease.

Not even a 50% one-year mortality rate seen for the transapical approach in the PARTNER EU registry is dampening enthusiasm for the Sapien valve or for the transfemoral-only CoreValve and the up-and-coming devices still in development.

Longer-term results from these two relatively small randomized trials are reassuring but not sufficient to provide a full rationale for using DES in AMI, experts say.

Early results for the novel stent are reviving hopes for a concept that many people agreed was a good idea to begin with—reservoir-based elution of an antiproliferative drug, using a bioerodable polymer.

The findings should help quell fears of a late catch-up phenomenon with a stent some have referred to as "DES-lite" and dispel concerns raised in meeting presentations last year about increased adverse events with this device.