Bioresorbable coronary scaffolds quickly snag European role

But despite this support for BVS, their reception may be tepid so far at the grassroots’ level. "People are afraid of BVS because it’s a plastic stent," said Dr. Dudek. But while he conceded that BVS use requires precautions, "the technique is not so different from a regular DES [drug-eluting stent]," he said.

^{Mitchel L. Zoler/IMNG Medical Media}

Dr. Ibrahim Al-Rashdan

"The ideal lesions for BVS are soft, with no calcifications, and enough compliance of the vessel wall to accommodate the device so you don’t need to worry about full stent expansion. With BVS, there is hope to have therapeutic benefit with possible vessel remodeling." said Dr. Windecker. "There is strong evidence for a different way of vessel remodeling" with lesion regression. "This may also happen with metal stents, but with a metal stent, the remodeling won’t benefit the lumen because of the metallic wires. We have preliminary data from coronary imaging that the coronary seems to grow" around a BVS "in a way that does not compromise the lumen," Dr. Windecker said in an interview.

A focus for continued BVS development will be patients with diabetes because of the "clear limitation of drug-eluting stents" in these patients, he said. Future studies will also try to establish that BVS can prevent plaque rupture.

Dr. van Geuns said that he has been a consultant to and received honoraria from Stentys and Abbott Vascular. Dr. Windecker said that he has received grant support from Abbott, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, and several other companies. Dr. Dudek said that he has been a consultant to Biotronik, Abbott, Medtronic, and Boston Scientific. Dr. Lotan said that he has been a consultant to and stockholder in InspireMD and that he has received honoraria from Medtronic and other companies. Dr. Waksman said that he has been a consultant to Biotronik, Abbott Vascular, Boston Scientific, and Medtronic. Dr. Widimský said that he has been a consultant to Abbott Vascular, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, and several other companies. Dr. Serruys said that he had no disclosures. Dr. Al-Rashdan said that he had no disclosures.

mzoler@frontlinemedcom.com

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