Xience Xpedition 48 everolimus eluting coronary stent from Abbott Vascular has CE Mark

Abbott announced CE Mark granted on 21 May 2013 in Europe for the Xience Xpedition 48 Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System, the first-of-its-kind treatment for very long blockages in the vessels that supply blood to the heart due to coronary artery disease (CAD). Xience Xpedition 48 leverages the proven design and clinical outcomes of the Xience family of drug eluting stents in a unique 48 mm length.

Studies indicate that physicians choose to use multiple shorter length stents to meet the challenges of treating long blockages - or lesions - in as many as 30 percent of interventional heart procedures, as conventional stent sizes may not always fully cover the lesion. It has been shown, however, that the use of a single stent instead of multiple stents may result in several procedural benefits, including the use of fewer devices, less exposure to X-ray during the procedure, and reduced procedure time, which could lead to economic benefits.