Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Bioabsorbable Stents

Heart disease is the leading cause of death. One of the most common medical interventions performed today is the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

 

 

PCI is performed to open blocked coronary arteries caused by coronary artery disease (CAD) and to restore arterial blood flow to the heart tissue without open-heart surgery. During a PCI procedure, a stent which is a small wire mesh tube is placed to help widen the blocked artery and decrease the chance of narrowing again. (Restenosis). Stents can be classified into two categories: bare-metal stents and drug-eluting stents.

 

 

Bare-metal stent- without special coating, it acts as scaffolding to prop opens the blood vessels after angioplasty.  As the artery heals, tissue growing around the stent holds the stent in a place.

 

Drug-eluting stents. Unlike bare-metal stent, these stents are coated with medication that is slowly released to help prevent the growth of scar tissue in the artery lining. This helps the artery remain smooth and open, ensuring good blood flow.

 

PCI, a relatively common procedure, requires technical proficiency with the use of complex equipment. Technical errors may lead to clinically significant complications, such as abrupt coronary occlusion with or without myocardial infarction, emergency coronary bypass surgery, and death. An increased risk of stent thrombosis for drug eluting stents is one of the global concerns.

 

 

As a result, the new technique is introduced called bioabsorbable stent. Bioabsorbable stent is made from the same material as used in the medical supply such as an absorbable thread which can gradually resorb and benignly cleared from the body within 2 years in contrast to the traditional one, permanently placed in the artery.  As mentioned, with the quality of disappearance, bioabsorbable stent eliminates the causes of potential inflammation that can result in stent thrombosis and restenosis. The said condition is rare but severe and often life threatening event. The new stent bioabsorbable can help minimizing that event. The disappearance of the device also enables all options of future interventions.