Treating peripheral artery disease

There are three main approaches to treating peripheral artery disease (PAD): making lifestyle changes; taking medication; and in some cases, having a special procedure or surgery.

If lifestyle changes or medication are unable to improve your condition, your doctor may turn to a procedure known as angioplasty. During this procedure, a balloon catheter is used to open narrowed blood vessels.

 How do drug-coated balloons work?

For the TRANSCEND clinical trial, you were treated with a drug-coated balloon (DCB). The procedure begins just as it would with a standard balloon catheter.

However, once the narrowed vessel has been opened with a balloon catheter and blood flow is been restored, the doctor removes the first catheter and guides a DCB to the treatment site. 

The DCB is then inflated, allowing the drug on the outside of the balloon to be transferred to the vessel wall. The drug used in the TRANSCEND trial is designed to prevent the vessel from narrowing again in the area where the medication is applied.

References:

1. Zeller T. Drug coated balloons: hope or hype? Available at: http://evtoday.com/2012/08/drug-coated-balloons-hope-or-hype/. Accessed August 12, 2019.