OBJECTIVE To determine whether corrodible materials may be safely used as biodegradable cardiovascular implants.

DESIGN Corrodible iron stents (> 99.8% iron) were produced from pure iron and laser cut with a stent design similar to a commercially available permanent stent (PUVA-AS16). A total of 16 NOR-I stents were implanted into the native descending aorta of 16 New Zealand white rabbits (mean luminal diameter at the implantation site 3.4 mm, balloon diameter to vessel diameter ratio 1.13).

RESULTS No thromboembolic complications and no adverse events occurred during the follow up of 6–18 months. All stents were patent at repeat angiography after 6 (n = 9), 12 (n = 5), and 18 months (n = 2) with no significant neointimal proliferation, no pronounced inflammatory response, and no systemic toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS This initial in vivo experience suggests that degradable iron stents can be safely implanted without significant obstruction of the stented vessel caused by inflammation, neointimal proliferation, or thrombotic events.