Self-Dissolving Plastic Grid Lets Blood Flow Freely

A new plastic grid improves the blood flow in patients with constricted heart arteries. Unlike earlier solutions, the plastic grid dissolves itself after a few years in the body.

Constricted heart blood vessels are among the most frequent causes of death worldwide. The condition is often treated with balloon angioplasty, by which the blood vessel is expanded by means of a metal grid, a stent, placed in the heart by means of a small balloon. But the metal grid remains in the body, even after the blood vessels have expanded, particularly limiting the mobility of the blood vessel, which could cause complications such as blood clots.

Scientists from the Abbott healthcare firm have developed a new type of stent made of biodegradable plastic, which is automatically broken down into harmless materials after three years.