De biologisch oplosbare coronaire stent: follow-up

Bioresorbable scaffolds have been developed as an alternative to current metal stents. Despite earlier acceptable short-term results, the recently published AIDA study found that the most-used resorbable scaffold (Absorb) presents an almost threefold increased risk of stent thrombosis than the metal XIENCE stent, short-term as well as long-term. Acute and subacute stent thrombosis probably occur because of inadequate dual antiplatelet therapy, suboptimal implantation technique or both. Late stent thrombosis is probably affected by absorption-related stent-strut discontinuity and factors affecting blood flow. Implantation protocols consisting of adequate pre-dilation, correct sizing and post-dilation have been proposed to reduce the risk of stent thrombosis. In addition, it recommended to treat patients with dual antiplatelet therapy for up to 3 years after placement. The resorbable scaffold is currently being studied further in controlled clinical studies. With new insights and future technical improvements, the bioresorbable scaffold may still be the next revolution in the area of coronary stents.

Conflict of interest and financial support for this article: J.J. Piek has received a consulting free from Abbott Vascular International.