Endoprótesis coronarias bioabsorbibles

The development of percutaneous coronary intervention techniques occurred in four waves or revolutions: (i) the introduction of coronary balloon angioplasty; (ii) the development of coronary stents to tackle the limitations of balloon angioplasty; (iii) the incorporation of antiproliferative drugs into drug-eluting stents to help prevent restenosis; and, finally, (iv) the advent of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds. This article starts with a brief description of the devices that have been used in coronary interventions during the last three decades and that ultimately led to the development of the bioresorbable vascular scaffold. Then, the main characteristics of these devices and the problems faced in developing them are summarized. The core of the article contains a description of devices currently under development, and discusses recent preclinical and clinical findings. The conclusion foresees a promising future for coronary interventions and bioresorbable vascular scaffolds.