Drug Coated Balloon in Young Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Viable Treatment Option?

Abstract

This clinical case highlights the safety and feasibility of drug coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty in a very young patients presenting with STEMI (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) to avoid long-term complications associated with stent implantation, which still amount to 1%−2%. We successfully treated a 25 years old patient with occluded right coronary artery (RCA) with DCB after careful lesion preparation. Moreover, in a control angiogram 7 weeks later the RCA was patent with substantial lumen enlargement of 0.4 mm (RAO projection) to almost 2 mm (LAO projection) in a very short period of time. DCB angioplasty offers a viable alternative to stent implantation in young patients, avoiding the complications associated with permanent metallic implants while promoting vascular remodeling. While we acknowledge that more evidence is needed to optimize patient selection and confirm the long-term benefits of DCB in ACS, this case highlights its efficacy and safety in terms of an individualized treatment strategy.