Which type of stent is best?

There is no single "best" type of stent overall. The most appropriate stent depends on the clinical situation and needs of the individual patient. 

Some key factors that determine optimal stent selection are: 

-location and severity of the blockage - More complex lesions often benefit from drug-eluting stents to reduce restenosis. Simple short lesions may do well with bare metal stents.

- Vessel size - Smaller arteries may require stents with better flexibility and conformability.

- Anticipated duration of the stent is needed - If long-term patency is needed, drug-eluting stents are preferable. Bare metal stents can serve as shorter-term scaffolds.

- Ability to comply with prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy - Drug-eluting stents require longer antiplatelet medication use to prevent stent thrombosis. 

- Cost considerations - Drug-eluting stents are 3-4 times more expensive than bare metal stents. This impacts choice based on the patient's insurance.

- Patient factors like age, comorbidities, bleeding risk, etc. 

- Physician training and experience with different stents. 

In general, drug-eluting stents tend to be used more commonly nowadays as they significantly lower restenosis risk. However bare metal stents still have an important role in certain clinical scenarios. The interventional cardiologist will make the most appropriate stent choice based on a careful assessment of the patient.