Everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffolds versus second generation drug eluting stents for percutaneous treatment of chronic total coronary occlusions: technical and procedural outcomes from the GHOST-CTO registry

Objectives: We aimed at comparing the acute performance of bioresorbable scaffolds (BRS) and second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) for the treatment of chronic total occlusions (CTO). Background: There is a lack of knowledge regarding the use of BRS in CTO. Methods: Key outcomes of interest were technical and procedural success. Technical success was defined as successful stent delivery and implantation, postprocedural residual diameter stenosis <30% within the treated segment, and restoration of thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) grade 3 flow. Procedural success was defined as technical success with no in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Results: Between May 2013 and May 2014, 32 patients underwent CTO percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with the Absorb BRS (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA) and were compared with a historical control group of 54 patients who had undergone CTO PCI with second-generation DES. Baseline characteristics were similar between the BRS and DES groups, with the exception of a larger mean reference vessel diameter in the BRS group (2.92 ± 0.34 vs 2.50 ± 0.68; P < 0.001). Technical success was less likely to be achieved in the BRS group compared with the DES group (78.1% vs 96.3%, P = 0.012). Procedural success rates were 78.1% and 94.4% in the BRS and DES group, respectively (P = 0.035). Conclusions: Compared with second-generation DES for PCI of CTO lesions, BRS were associated with lower rates of technical and procedural success.