(March 12, 2009 - Insidermedicine) A stent that slowly dissolves into the body appears to be a safe and effective way of treating blocked coronary arteries, according to research published in The Lancet.

Here is some information about stents:

•    They are small tubular devices implanted into narrowed or blocked coronary arteries to hold the vessels open.

•    While effective, blockages can reoccur near where the stent is implanted, and these blockages can be difficult to treat.

•    Metal stents can also interfere with imaging methods used to monitor blood vessels, including MRI and CT.

Researchers from the Thorax Center in Rotterdam followed-up 30 patients who were implanted with a bioabsorbable stent.

After two years, all the stents had completely dissolved, and the treated artery remained open. No deaths occurred, no blood clots developed, and none the patients required a procedure to reopen a blocked vessel. Only one serious adverse event occurred – a heart attack that was not fatal.

Today's research highlights the potential of bioabsorbable stents. Further research is needed to confirm whether or not they produce some of the adverse events associated with traditional metal stents.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.