Advances and continued controversy in coronary revascularization of patients with diabetes mellitus

In summary, the appropriate mode of coronary revascularization for patients with diabetes remains controversial. Although current literature cannot uniformly support claims that diabetic patients benefit more from CABG or PCI, new advances in therapy may dramatically improve revascularization for these patients. Although trials are underway to address some of these issues, the role of coated stents and CABG in diabetic revascularization will not be resolved immediately. Whereas some trials may create more controversy regarding revascularization, hopefully others will shed insight into selecting appropriate procedures for the diabetic population with coronary atherosclerosis.