Cardiovascular doctors are optimistic about Abbott’s new below-knee stent that disappears into the blood vessel’s walls over the course of three years. Courtesy Abbott
An Abbott device that failed in heart disease patients is getting a new life in patients with severe vascular disease.
The device is a below-knee stent that widens clogged blood vessels, and then vanishes into the vessel’s walls over the course of three years. It also delivers a drug that prevents scar tissue from forming — a common risk factor with traditional metal stents that further narrow the vessel.
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Abbott’s first dissolvable stent, for coronary artery disease, received Food and Drug Administration approval in 2016. But the company voluntarily pulled the product from the market just over a year later due to “low commercial uptake.” The device also received mixed results in clinical trials.
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