Drug-Coated Balloons May Enhance Metal Stents
According to the results of research presented at a recent meeting of
the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2011, a drug coated
balloon inserted into existing coronary (heart vessel) stents to keep implanted
metal stents open may prove to be beneficial and even desirable
in certain patient care situations. The problem with metal stents, which
were first implanted in the late 1980s, is that over time they tend to allow
the vessel to clog and become narrow, causing scar tissue to develop,
which slows blood flow through the heart (a condition called in-stent
narrowing). Earlier stents that carried drugs were first approved in 2003
by the FDA, since they reportedly worked better than bare-metal stents.
However, with experience heart specialists found that drug-eluting stents
could also sometimes cause blood clots and narrowing of coronary vessels.
Those conducting research with drug-eluting balloons and implanted
stents indicate that one advantage of drug-coated balloons is that the
balloon coating is biodegradable and decomposes in 24 hours.