Drug-Eluting Balloons vs Stents in STEMI \u2013 Key Points<\/p>\n
\u2022\u2060 \u2060Debate in interventional cardiology: drug-eluting balloons (DEB) vs drug-eluting stents (DES) for de novo coronary lesions.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u2060 \u2060DES remain the current standard in STEMI primary PCI.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u2060 \u2060Potential advantages of DEB:
\n\u2013 No metal left in the artery
\n\u2013 Lower thrombosis risk
\n\u2013 May reduce need for prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy
\n\u2013 Vessel remains \u201cclean\u201d if restenosis occurs.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u2060 \u2060Limitations of balloon therapy:
\n\u2013 Risk of vessel dissection, which may still require stent implantation.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u2060 \u2060Restenosis rates with modern DES are low (<5%), which explains their continued dominance.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u2060 \u2060COPERNICAN trial (Spain) is evaluating DEB vs DES in STEMI.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u2060 \u2060Planned enrollment: 1400 patients across 20 centers (\u2248700 already enrolled).<\/p>\n
\u2022\u2060 \u2060Early monitoring suggests balloon strategy is likely not inferior to stenting, though final results are pending.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u2060 \u2060Current view among experts: DEB will not replace stents but may complement them in selected patients.<\/p>\n
Source
\nMedscape News Europe
\nOlga Fern\u00e1ndez Castro
\nPublished March 4, 2026<\/p>\n