Circumferential distribution of the neointima at six-month and two-year follow-up after a bioresorbable vascular scaffold implantation: a substudy of the ABSORB Cohort B Clinical Trial.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the extent and the circumferential distribution of the neointima tissue developed following an Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation.


RESULTS
Twenty-three patients who were treated with the Absorb BVS and had optical coherence tomographic examination after scaffold implantation, at six-month and at two-year follow-up, were included in the current analysis. The lumen and the scaffold borders were detected and the circumferential thickness of the neointima was measured at one degree intervals. The symmetry of the neointima was defined as: minimum/maximum thickness. The lumen area was decreased at six months compared to baseline but it did not change between six-month and two-year follow-up (baseline: 7.49 [6.13-8.00] mm², six months: 6.31 (4.75-7.06) mm², two years: 6.01 [4.67-7.11] mm², p=0.373). However, the mean neointima thickness (six months: 189 [173-229] m, two years: 258 [222-283] m, p<0.0001) and the symmetry index of the neointima (six months: 0.06 [0.02-0.09], two years: 0.27 [0.24-0.36], p<0.0001) were increased at two years. Full circumferential coverage of the vessel wall by neointima tissue was seen in 91% of the studied frames at two years.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that after an Absorb BVS implantation neointima tissue develops that covers almost the whole circumference of the vessel wall. In contrast to the metallic stents, the neointima tissue does not compromise the luminal dimensions. Further research is required to evaluate the neointimal characteristics and assess the potential value of the device in passivating high-risk plaques.
Thoraxcenter, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Christos V
CV
Bourantas
Vasim
V
Farooq
Yaojun
Y
Zhang
Takashi
T
Muramatsu
Bill D
BD
Gogas
Leif
L
Thuesen
Dougal
D
McClean
Bernard
B
Chevalier
Stephan
S
Windecker
Jacques
J
Koolen
John
J
Ormiston
Robert
R
Whitbourn
Cecile
C
Dorange
Richard
R
Rapoza
Yoshinobu
Y
Onuma
Hector M
HM
Garcia-Garcia
Patrick W
PW
Serruys
D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058426:Neointima / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000295:instrumentation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D020123:Sirolimus