Looking into the future with bioresorbable vascular scaffolds.

Bioresorbable scaffold technology has evolved over the last few years with a number of devices either available or under clinical and preclinical investigation. The absence of a permanent metallic segment in the treated vessel wall has the potential to address some of the issues still encountered with metallic drug-eluting stents despite improvements in stent platform, polymer and drug elution. Here, the authors review currently available bioresorbable scaffolds for coronary artery use, concentrating on both completed and ongoing preclinical and clinical studies, evaluating their use. The authors also discuss the potential advantages as well as challenges that these novel devices may face in routine clinical practice.