Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) are an exciting novel treatment for coronary artery disease (CAD) as their eventual resorption renders the artery free from a permanent metallic cage. Clinical trials regarding these novel devices have demonstrated promising results, although their use in this context has largely been restricted to simple lesions. More recently, BVS use has expanded to patients with more complex lesions including those with long diffuse disease, and results from several registries are awaited with regard to their efcacy in 'real-world' patients. Although any patient who requires percutaneous treatment for CAD could benet from BVS implantation, there are certain cohorts of patients and lesions in whom BVS could be of particular benet. In this review, we attempt to identify which patient and lesion cohort is most suitable for treatment with these novel devices.
Charis Costopoulos : Interventional Cardiology Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Interventional Cardiology Unit, EMO GVM Centro Cuore Columbus, Milan, Italy; Department of Cardiology, Imperial College University, London, UK
Azeem Latib : Interventional Cardiology Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Interventional Cardiology Unit, EMO GVM Centro Cuore Columbus, Milan, Italy;
Antonio Colombo : Director of the Catheterisation Laboratory
