Atrium Health physicians performed the procedure May 28, nearly two months after the device’s approval, in a patient with coronary artery disease. Boston Scientific’s device is used to treat coronary in-stent restenosis. It is a paclitaxel-coated balloon catheter that “transfers a therapeutic dose of drug to the vessel wall to help prevent ISR reoccurrence,” according to the company.
This new device allows for less severe, sometimes life-altering effects in patients.
“Historically, stent restenosis has posed a substantial challenge, often leading to severe lifestyle limitations for patients,” Nyal Borges, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Atrium Health, said in the release. “The introduction of drug-coated balloon therapy marks a significant breakthrough, offering symptomatic relief and reducing the rate of restenosis, thereby improving our patients’ quality of life substantially.”
Patients who receive the drug-coated balloon procedure can be discharged the same day, according to the news release. Follow-up has shown these patients also have improvements in their heart condition, and several were able to return to their normal daily activities.
In a clinical trial of 600 patients, Boston Scientific’s drug-coated balloon led to a lower risk of adverse events 12 months later than typical ISR procedures, lowered the risk of heart attack and there was no definite or probable stent clotting found related to its use.
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