3-Year results of STEMI patients treated with a pre-specified BVS implantation strategy: BVS SYTEMI strategy-it long term

Abstract Aims Data on Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) use in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are limited. Furthermore, Absorb studies including STEMI patients lacked a prespecified implantation technique to optimize BVS deployment. To assess the 3-year clinical outcomes STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) with a pre-specified BVS implantation strategy. Methods and results BVS STEMI STRATEGY-IT (NCT02601781) included 505 STEMI patients undergoing pPCI with BVS following a dedicated implantation protocol. Device-oriented composite endpoint [(DOCE) cardiac death, ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization (ID-TLR) and target vessel myocardial infarction (TV-MI)] and scaffold thrombosis (ScT) at 3-year were evaluated. A subgroup analysis was performed on patients in whom dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) was continued 36 months after pPCI (‘longer-term DAPT’), and outcomes of this cohort compared to the remaining population (‘shorter-term DAPT’: <36 months) are also reported. Three-year DOCE and ScT rates were low (2.4% and 1.0%, respectively). In 319 (63.2%) patients DAPT was continued 36 months after pPCI. DOCE rate was significantly lower in the longer- compared to shorter-DAPT group (HR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.1–0.9; P = 0.03), driven by a lower rate of TV-MI (0% vs. 2.2%, P = 0.018). Significantly lower rate of ScT was observed in longer-DAPT group (0% vs. 2.7%, P = 0.007). Conclusions In STEMI patients undergoing pPCI, a strategy of optimized BVS implantation technique is associated with favourable DOCE and ScT rates at 3 year. DAPT extension up to 36 months further improves long-term clinical outcomes.