title: Current and future perspectives on drug-eluting bioresorbable coronary scaffolds.
abstract: Despite improvements in stent platform, polymer and drug elution, the permanent metallic stents have significant limitations as they distort vessel physiology, predispose to late thrombosis and may preclude surgical revascularization. Bioresorbable scaffold (BRS) technology has evolved over the last few years to overcome these drawbacks. Actually, different BRS are either available or under clinical and preclinical investigation. However, the use of BRS has largely been restricted to patients recruited into clinical trials with a relatively small number of 'real world' patients treated with these devices. Here, we highlight the potentialities of these devices, describe the evidence from the recent clinical trials and discuss the potential advantages, as well as challenges, that this novel technology may face in routine clinical practice.
authors: Division of Cardiology, 'Bolognini' Hospital, Via Paderno 21, 24068, Seriate (BG), Italy.
authors: Alfonso
authors: A
authors: Ielasi
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Tespili
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D006801:Humans; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: bioresorbable scaffolds; coronary angioplasty; drug-eluting stents