When and how to use BRS in bifurcations?

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular medicine
• Biomaterials science
• Interventional cardiology

Background:

• Bioresorbable coronary scaffolds (BRS) aim to restore vessel patency without permanent implants, potentially benefiting complex lesion locations like bifurcations.
• Metallic drug-eluting stents (DES) are the current standard, but concerns about long-term vessel integrity persist.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review bench testing data and initial clinical results of BRS in bifurcation lesions.
• To assess the current status and limitations of BRS for bifurcation treatment based on European Bifurcation Club (EBC) presentations and real-world registries.

Main Methods:

• Review of bench testing data on bioresorbable scaffolds.
• Analysis of initial clinical outcomes from BRS use in bifurcation lesions.
• Examination of published real-world registry data on BRS in bifurcations.

Main Results:

• BRS present theoretical advantages for bifurcation treatment by avoiding permanent metallic prostheses.
• Inherent limitations of BRS may impede their extensive clinical application.
• Limited real-world registry data and initial clinical results are available for BRS in bifurcations.

Conclusions:

• BRS technology shows promise for coronary artery bifurcations but faces challenges.
• Further investigation and data are required to overcome BRS limitations for widespread use.
• The European Bifurcation Club (EBC) serves as a platform for discussing BRS advancements and challenges.