Bioresorbable scaffolds on the bench.

Bioresorbable scaffolds (BRS) in bifurcations have all of the potential advantages of BRS in non-bifurcating lesions and, in addition, the absorption of side branch (SB) ostial struts may at least partially release the branch from "jail". Polymeric BRS struts may break when post-dilated beyond their safe limits and multiple fractures may lead to adverse clinical events. Bench testing provides insights into the behaviour of different BRS in bifurcations and helps the interventional cardiologist to choose, deliver and post-dilate appropriately. Bench testing of polymeric BRS must be in a water bath at 37ºC as polymer performance is temperature sensitive. Balloon dilatation through the side of a BRS or a durable metallic stent causes distortion corrected by mini-kissing balloon post-dilatation (mini-KBPD) where the SB balloon extends only a short distance into the main branch (MB), limiting the length of MB scaffold exposed to the inflation of two balloons. The safe pressure threshold for SB dilatation of a 3.0 mm Absorb scaffold with a 3.0 mm non-compliant balloon is 10 atm and for mini-KBPD with two 3.0 mm balloons it is 5 atm. Strategies such as culotte, crush and simultaneous kissing scaffolds (SKS) may not be appropriate for the current Absorb scaffold.