Neointimal Proliferation Is Associated With Clinical Restenosis 2 Years After Fully Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold Implantation

Drug-eluting stents, introduced to reduce neointimal proliferation and the subsequent clinical restenosis, represent the current mainstay for the treatment of coronary artery stenosis.1 However, this benefit is paid back with an increased incidence of late stent thrombosis.2 In addition, the presence of a permanent metallic cage within the arterial wall prevents a full restoration of normal vessel physiology.3 In the past years, fully bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVSs) have emerged as a novel promising approach to treat coronary stenosis by providing transient vessel support with drug delivery capability,3 without the long-term limitations associated with vessel caging. This technology has the potential to overcome many of the safety concerns associated with drug-eluting stents, with possible clinical benefits.3We report the first comprehensive intracoronary imaging study of late clinically driven BVS restenosis, including 3D optical coherence tomography.A 72-year-old man with a 70% de novo left circumflex stenosis (Figure 1A, 1C, and 1D) was treated with a 3.0×18 mm …