Bioresorbable Stents: Is This Where We Are Headed?

Current drug-eluting stents (DES) have shown excellent safety and efficacy in various clinical settings. However, the presence of a permanent metallic scaffold remains an Achilles heel, with concerns for late stent thrombosis and the need for prolonged dual anti-platelet therapy. The bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BRS) has been termed the fourth revolution in interventional cardiology, with an ability to not only treat the coronary lesion, but also restore endothelial function after complete absorption. The absence of a permanent scaffold after months of implantation has the potential to overcome the shortcomings of current metallic DES and markedly impact interventional cardiology practice around the world. This review article focuses on the history, development and clinical studies on various BRS and attempts to predict how this technology could impact future cardiology practice.