A Drug Eluting Balloon (DEB) is a medical device used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, particularly in patients with coronary artery disease. It is a type of balloon catheter that is coated with an anti-proliferative drug which is slowly released into the artery during the inflation of the balloon. This is done to prevent restenosis, which is the re-narrowing of the artery after a balloon angioplasty procedure.
Balloon angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that involves inflating a Drug Eluting Balloon inside a narrowed artery to widen it and improve blood flow. However, restenosis is a common problem with balloon angioplasty, as the arterial wall can become damaged during the procedure, leading to the formation of scar tissue which can narrow the artery again.