A number of studies have shown the benefits of stent placement over balloon angioplasty for the treatment of focal, native coronary artery, and saphenous vein graft disease. Although the number of stent designs available for clinical use has increased dramatically, the late clinical benefit of stenting over balloon angioplasty has yet to be shown in diffuse disease, complex bifurcation stenoses, or smaller (2.5-mm) vessels, each of which may require unique stent designs and adjunct therapies not currently available or extensively studied. The purposes of this review are to discuss the various stent designs currently available for clinical use, outline the known complications associated with these stents, assess the contribution of intravascular ultrasound, and describe current antiplatelet and antithrombotic therapy used after stent use.