Bioresorbable vascular scaffold versus metallic stent in percutaneous coronary intervention: results of the AIDA trial

Drug-eluting stents have significantly improved the long-term outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) by decreasing the excessive growth of neointima. However, conventional stents have some limitations. PCI with a bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) has emerged as an alternative since the presence of the prosthesis in the coronary artery is transient. A US Food and Drug Administration advisory panel of experts recommended approval of BVS based on the analysis of its risks and rewards in July 2016. In June 2017, the preliminary results of the Amsterdam Investigator-initiateD Absorb Strategy All-comers (AIDA) trial were released. This randomized controlled trial compared an everolimus-eluting BVS with an everolimus-eluting metallic stent in the context of routine clinical practice. The preliminary results revealed no significant difference in target-vessel failure when BVS was compared with metallic stenting. However, during the 2 years of follow-up, BVS was associated with a higher rate of device thrombosis. This is seen as an important development in the trial. There are some concerns regarding stent thrombosis and the restoration of real vessel functionality in the long term. For these reasons, for now, metallic stents remain the treatment of choice for PCI.