Aims: The safety of BVS implantation in patients with a high risk for early thrombotic complications has not been studied. We report on the outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) treated with bioresorbable, everolimus-eluting, vascular scaffolds (BVS).
Methods and results: 150 consecutive patients with ACS (194 lesions) treated with BVS between May 2012 and July 2013 were compared with a control group composed of 103 consecutive patients (129 lesions) who underwent everolimus drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in the same time period. The incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE: death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or reintervention) before discharge, at one month and six months was evaluated. Clinical characteristics and presentation were similar between groups. Procedural characteristics were also similar between groups, except for the use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (p<0.01). Procedural success was obtained in all but two patients in the BVS group. In-hospital, 30-day and six-month MACE rates were similar between both groups (all p>0.5), with most complications occurring during the first ten days. Definite or probable in-stent/scaffold thrombosis occurred in two BVS patients and one DES patient during the index admission and it occurred in another patient in each group in the first month after BVS/DES implantation. In multivariate analysis, BVS utilisation did not influence the incidence of MACE (p>0.9).
Conclusions: BVS implantation for patients with ACS is safe, with outcomes comparable with those of drug-eluting metal stents.