**4.4 DES problem design and deployment**

This problem can be approached in one of two ways, do you a) want to compare the mass transport capabilities between different stent designs or b) want to analyse arterial mass transport for a single stent design under various stenting and artery wall conditions. The latter of which is of more initial interest because a comprehensive understanding of a multifaceted mass transport study with a generic stent design will give a greater understanding of the interactions between drug/polymer characteristics and the arterial condition. Once these interactions are better understood the researcher can revert to comparing stent designs for a predetermined deployment configuration.

The main goal of a DES is to prevent the onslaught of arterial restenosis, which occurs in part due to damage inflicted on the artery during stent deployment. However, researchers to date have generally neglected the artery wall damage induced and its influence on mass transport. An exploratory DES mass transport computational study, even if it is only 2D modelling, should consider both cause and effect. A stent should not just be placed flush with the artery wall, there is going to be some wall indentation and intimal damage, the extent of which is a study onto itself. To this end the resulting artery wall compression will alter the effect that is the transport of the anti-restenotic drugs throughout the artery wall. Stent design and drug/polymer properties, although of significant importance, should be a secondary consideration until these fundamental issues have been addressed.
