Content of review 1, reviewed on June 08, 2017

We face a series of meta-analysis during last months regarding the outcomes after BVS implantation. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BRS, compared with Everolimus-eluting stents (EES), using the data available from randomized trials, with a focus on long-term outcomes. This meta-analysis is of quite good quality but in fact with the same concerns that trialists recently ignore. The Funnel plots were in fact misinterpreted. Authors concluded that there was no evidence of publication bias by visual inspection of Funnel plots and by Egger’s test, but this is not correct which means meta-analysis was obviously written with a certain bias. The provided Supplementary figures perform signs of the bias for TV-MI, definite/ probable/ scaffold thrombosis (especially in cases of the late and very late). The Funnel plots were built only for BVS without DES that doesn't allow to draw any conclusions. Authors totally ignored the fact that array gathered for ST were non-significant in original trials. This fact doesn't allow to draw any definitive conclusions.

Source

    © 2017 the Reviewer (CC BY 4.0).

References

    Alberto, P., Remzi, A., Thomas, M., Ciro, I., Salvatore, D. R., Tommaso, G. 2017. Long-term outcome of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds for the treatment of coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis of RCTs. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders.