Drug-Eluting Balloons vs Stents in STEMI – Key Points
Drug-Eluting Balloons vs Stents in STEMI – Key Points
• Debate in interventional cardiology: drug-eluting balloons (DEB) vs drug-eluting stents (DES) for de novo coronary lesions.
• DES remain the current standard in STEMI primary PCI.
• Potential advantages of DEB:
– No metal left in the artery
– Lower thrombosis risk
– May reduce need for prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy
– Vessel remains “clean” if restenosis occurs.
• Limitations of balloon therapy:
– Risk of vessel dissection, which may still require stent implantation.
• Restenosis rates with modern DES are low (<5%), which explains their continued dominance.
• COPERNICAN trial (Spain) is evaluating DEB vs DES in STEMI.
• Planned enrollment: 1400 patients across 20 centers (≈700 already enrolled).
• Early monitoring suggests balloon strategy is likely not inferior to stenting, though final results are pending.
• Current view among experts: DEB will not replace stents but may complement them in selected patients.
Source
Medscape News Europe
Olga Fernández Castro
Published March 4, 2026
