New technology in heart attack treatment lowers need of stents

Dr Rajneesh Kapoor and Dr (Prof) Antonio Colombo

Heart attack can be lifethreatening if not treated in time. Patients may be advised angioplasty, a minimally invasive procedure performed by interventional cardiologists, to restore blood supply to the heart by opening up the blocked part in coronary arteries. The doctor, then, may choose to deploy a stent on the target site to keep the portion open for long.

Dr Antonio Colombo, professor of Cardiology and senior consultant at Humanitas University, Milan, says, “To prevent re-narrowing of arteries, in patients where implanting a stent is not best suited or needs to be avoided, interventional cardiology practice approves treating with a new medical device, known as the sirolimus drugcoated balloon catheter.”

He explains, “This device features a drug delivery technology platform coated onto the balloon, designed to deliver sub-micron particles of sirolimus that are then encapsulated in a biocompatible drug carrier. The drug and carrier complex is designed to reach the inner layers of the vessel walls and act as a reservoir for the long-term release of sirolimus. Sirolimus is a medicine that prevents re-narrowing of the coronary artery and is backed by huge data for safety and long-term efficacy.”

Dr Rajneesh Kapoor, vice chairman of Interventional Cardiology, Medanta Hospital, says, “This is a remarkable development in the treatment of heart attack with angioplasty. With this new technology, in many patients, interventional cardiologists may not need to implant a stent. Theoretically, stent-free angioplasty might be superior to angioplasty using a stent as it may prevent long-term issues of dual antiplatelet therapy, stent fracture and stent thrombosis.”

Disclaimer: The veracity of any health claim made in the above article is the responsibility of the doctor/hospital concerned.