The Role of Polymer Tubing in Bioabsorbable Vascular Scaffolds

In the 1960s, coronary bypass surgery was developed as the first surgical technique for treating coronary artery disease. Over the decades to follow, advancements in this treatment included balloon angioplasty, bare metal stents (BMS), and drug-eluting stents (DES), all of which have their own negative side effects to deal with. The latest development in vascular treatments is the polymeric BRS, engineered to be fully absorbed by the body after one to three years. With this technique, the framework provides support while the vessel is healing but does not remain permanently implanted in the vessel, thereby pulling a scientifically sound "disappearing act." Download the full article for more on how these new stents dissolve into the body, the advantages and challenges that they offer, and what is in store for this technology in the future.