Angioplasty is a medical procedure performed by interventional cardiologists in order to restore blood supply to the heart by opening up choked or blocked coronary arteries.
This procedure is indicated for patients who are hospitalised following an episode of a heart attack. The latest in this treatment is that with the application of advanced tools and right patient selection, cardiologists may not need to implant a stent.
Dr (Prof) Antonio Colombo, Professor of Cardiology and Senior Consultant at Humanitas University in Milan, says, "To prevent re narrowing of arteries, in patients where implanting a stent is not best suited or needs to be avoided, inter ventional cardiology practice approves treating the patient with the use of a new medical device known as the Sirolimus drug-coated balloon catheter.
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 drug. 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 Praveen Chandra, Chairman of Interventional Cardiology at Medanta Hospital, says, "It is a novel technology that works by taking the drug inside the vessel and lets it stay there, as it used to be with drug-eluting stents. Now, this is why we expect the results will be much better & almost the same as drug-eluting stents."