After an angioplasty, the patient’s arteries are frequently kept open with
stents. But these metal supports have a nasty habit of rupturing or clogging up
the veins. Now Hideo Tamai of the Shiga Medical Center in Japan has devised a
dissolving stent that will provide support for six months, but disappear within
two years. He tested the biodegradable stents, made of poly-L-lactic acid, on 15
patients, none of whom reported problems with them (Circulation, vol
102, p 399).
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from Â鶹´«Ã½
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending Â鶹´«Ã½ articles
1
We might finally know how to use quantum computers to boost AI
2
Exclusive report: Inside Chernobyl, 40 years after nuclear disaster
3
Neanderthal infants were enormous compared with modern humans
4
Are Neanderthals descendants of modern humans?
5
Hospital-acquired pneumonia reduced by daily toothbrushing
6
Parrot uses his broken beak to become a dominant male
7
How autoimmune conditions can unexpectedly drive mental illness
8
A once-fantastical collider could answer physics’ biggest mysteries
9
Yawning has an unexpected influence on the fluid inside your brain
10
Electric vehicle owners could earn thousands by supporting power grid
