Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Design of a Biocompatible Drug-Eluting Tracheal Stent in Mice with Laryngotracheal Stenosis
08:26

Design of a Biocompatible Drug-Eluting Tracheal Stent in Mice with Laryngotracheal Stenosis

Published on: January 21, 2020

7.2K

High Bleeding Risk Patients Treated with Very Thin-Strut Biodegradable Polymer or Thin-Strut Durable Polymer

Paolo Zocca1, Marlies M Kok1, Liefke C van der Heijden1

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Thoraxcentrum Twente, Medisch Spectrum Twente, Postbus 50.000, 7500, KA, Enschede, the Netherlands.

Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy
|August 26, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (BP-DES) demonstrated comparable safety and efficacy to durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-DES) in high bleeding risk patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. This study found no significant differences in key clinical outcomes between the two stent types for this vulnerable patient group.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Biomaterials Science

Background:

  • Patients with high bleeding risk (HBR) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) face elevated risks of both ischemic and bleeding events.
  • Durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-DES) may contribute to inflammation and delayed healing, potentially increasing risks in HBR patients.
  • Novel biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (BP-DES) offer a potential alternative by aiming to reduce inflammation and improve arterial healing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the safety and efficacy of very thin-strut biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (BP-DES) compared to thin-strut durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-DES) in patients with high bleeding risk (HBR).

Main Methods:

  • The BIO-RESORT trial randomized 3514 patients to receive either very thin-strut BP-DES or thin-strut DP-DES.
  • A subgroup analysis focused on 1009 patients identified as high bleeding risk (HBR) based on established criteria.
  • The primary endpoint was target vessel failure (cardiac death, target vessel MI, or target vessel revascularization) at 1-year follow-up.

Main Results:

  • HBR patients were older and had more comorbidities, experiencing higher rates of target vessel failure, cardiac death, and major bleeding compared to non-HBR patients.
  • In the HBR cohort (n=1009), 673 received BP-DES and 336 received DP-DES.
  • At 1-year, target vessel failure occurred in 6.5% of BP-DES patients and 7.3% of DP-DES patients (Hazard Ratio [HR] 0.88; 95% CI 0.54-1.46; P=0.63), with no significant differences in other secondary endpoints.

Conclusions:

  • Very thin-strut biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (BP-DES) demonstrated similar 1-year safety and efficacy outcomes compared to thin-strut durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-DES) in high bleeding risk patients.
  • These findings suggest that BP-DES are a viable option for HBR patients undergoing PCI, offering comparable performance to existing DP-DES.
  • Further research may explore long-term outcomes and specific patient subgroups within the HBR population.
Abstract

Keywords:
Biodegradable polymerDrug-eluting stentDurable polymerHigh bleeding riskPercutaneous coronary intervention

More Related Videos

A Testing Platform for Durability Studies of Polymers and Fiber-reinforced Polymer Composites under Concurrent Hygrothermo-mechanical Stimuli07:15

A Testing Platform for Durability Studies of Polymers and Fiber-reinforced Polymer Composites under Concurrent Hygrothermo-mechanical Stimuli

Published on: December 11, 2014

14.2K
Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers08:12

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers

Published on: December 16, 2022

3.9K

Related Concept Videos

Polymers02:34

Polymers

The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the...
41.0K
Polymers02:34

Polymers

23.3K
Polymer Classification: Architecture01:14

Polymer Classification: Architecture

Polymers are classified as linear or branched on the basis of their chain architecture. The polymer chains in linear polymers have a long chain-like structure with minimal to no branching at all. Even if a polymer features large substituent groups on the monomer, which appear as branches to the skeleton, it is not considered a branched polymer. A branched polymer contains secondary polymer chains that arise from the main polymer chain. The branching occurs when the polymer growth shifts from...
3.9K
Polymer Classification: Crystallinity01:21

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

Unlike ionic or small covalent molecules, polymers do not form crystalline solids due to the diffusion limitations of their long-chain structures. However, polymers contain microscopic crystalline domains separated by amorphous domains.
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
4.0K
Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity01:26

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

Polymerization generates chiral centers along the entire backbone of a polymer chain. Accordingly, the stereochemistry of the substituent group has a significant effect on polymer properties. Polymers formed from monosubstituted alkene monomers feature chiral carbons at every alternate position in the polymer backbone. Relative to the predominant orientation of substituents at the adjacent chiral carbons, the polymer can exist in three different configurations: isotactic, syndiotactic, and...
3.3K
Polymers: Defining Molecular Weight01:01

Polymers: Defining Molecular Weight

Unlike small molecules with definite molecular weights, polymers are a mixture of individual polymer chains of varying lengths, each with a unique molecular weight.  So, the molecular weight of a polymer is expressed as an average value based on the average size of the polymer chains. The two most common forms of averages used for polymers are the number average molecular weight and weight average molecular weight.
The number average molecular weight (Mn) is the summation of the number...
3.8K