First Biodegradable Corornary Stent Approved By FDA

The FDA has approved the first coronary stent that the body will gradually absorb. Known as the BVS, the vascular scaffold system dissolves into the body within three years. The stent is a hollow mesh tube which props open clogged arteries to improve blood flow; it also releases a drug to limit the growth of scar tissue. The new approved stent is constructed of biodegradable polymer commonly used in other medical devices designed to dissolve into the body. The FDA added the since the stent breaks down, it leaves behind no foreign material.