Temporary Stents: The ACS RX Flow Support Catheter

Although permanent stents have been successfully used as bail-out devices in the treatment of abrupt occlusion, the risk of stent thrombosis and of bleeding complications, as well as the cost of a prolonged hospitalization, have been deterrents to their universal acceptance. Temporary stents were conceived to provide internal scaffolding of the coronary arteries, which could stabilize occlusive dissections, yet still allow the stent to be removed before the time of peak incidence of subacute thrombosis. The ACS RX flow support catheter is a prototype temporary stent which has been recently evaluated in phase I and II clinical trials. The device is effective in improving angina score, coronary flow, and decreasing residual stenosis when used in cases of suboptimal percutaneous interventional results. However, the incidence of major complications and the need for adjunctive percutaneous interventions remain significant. Further studies are needed to define the optimal time of cage expansion as well as the clinical, anatomical, and procedural factors that predict efficacy and safety of this new device.