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Abbott stent has potential advantages, report shows

13 Mar 2009

A drug-eluting stent made by Abbott that is absorbed by the body within two years of placement could provide more benefits than its traditional permanent metal-based counterpart, a new report has concluded.

The Lancet has published results from the manufacturer''s 30-patient clinical trial, which discovered that the stent was successful in treating coronary artery disease and leaving vessels able to expand and contract similar to those that have never been stented.

This aspect of the device means that it may have an advantage over metal versions, said Dr Patrick Serruys, lead author of the article, co-principal investigator of the test''s first phase and a professor of interventional cardiology at Thoraxcentre, Erasmus University Hospital in Rotterdam.

He added: "This bioabsorbable device has the potential to provide optimal vessel scaffolding and drug delivery capability over the crucial first several months after a stenting procedure while avoiding the long-term restrictions of metallic stents."

Other results gained from the trial included a zero per cent rate of blood clot formation for each patient and the restoration of vasomotion at the two-year point.

Earlier this week, Abbott announced the launch of its new Voyager NC Coronary Dilatation Catheter.