Clinical trials

Implantation of a metallic drug-eluting stent (DES) is currently the gold standard in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, a DES has several limitations on the long-term, such as chronic local inflammation which may lead to in-stent restenosis, absence of physiological coronary vasomotion and vessel caging which makes future coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) impossible. A bioresorbable scaffold (BRS) is designed to overcome these limitations. The first generation BRS was shown to be clinically inferior to DES due to a slightly higher rate of stent thrombosis. To overcome this problem, several scientific developments have been achieved in the past few years, such as thinner BRS strut construction and improved implantation technique by using PSP (predilatation, sizing, postdilatation) method and intracoronary imaging guidance with optical coherence tomography (OCT) or intravasculair ultrasound (IVUS). A PCI protocol that combines implantation of a second generation thin-strut BRS, mandatory PSP implantation method and mandatory intracoronary imaging-guidance has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate feasibility of a new PCI protocol with implantation of the second generation Meres100 thin-strut BRS combined with a protocolized PSP implantation technique guided by intracoronary imaging.

The goal of this observational study is to improve care for patients with complex or recurrent pilonidal sinus disease by developing and implementing a best practice care pathway, including a standardized cleft lift operation. The main question it aims to answer is: Does a best practice care pathway with standardized cleft lift operation lead to shorter wound healing time and time to return to normal activities, compared to current standard care, with traditional excision techniques.