The coronary artery obstructions frequently need balloon dilatation and the placement of a metallic device called a stent. These stents are metal tubes designed to keep the artery patent for a longer time and give a better performance if covered with special medication to reduce the possibility to narrow again, a complication known as restenosis.
The drug-eluting stents (DES) provide a better chance for longer artery patency on the cost of leaving inside a foreign metal body that may be forever. Although there are absorbable stents, they still are temporary foreign bodies.
The drug-eluting balloons (DEB) are magnificent options to dilate the arteries without leaving inside a foreign body, preserving the same benefits as drug-eluting stents (DES).
Drug-eluting balloons are perfect options for someone with failed stents and many other coronary anatomical conditions such as small vessels or in patients with high bleeding risk.
The Clinics of the Heart is a pioneer in angioplasty with drug-eluting balloons on the “stentless drug-coated balloon only” concept, also known as DCB-only.
