# Drug-Coated Balloons in Coronary Bifurcation Disease: A State-of-the-Art Review

## TL;DR

Drug-coated balloons offer a new way to treat complex heart artery issues without permanent implants.

## Contribution

This review highlights the emerging role of drug-coated balloons in managing coronary bifurcation disease.

## Key findings

- Drug-coated balloons deliver medication directly to vessel walls, promoting healing.
- They simplify procedures and avoid permanent metallic implants in bifurcation treatments.

## Abstract

Coronary bifurcation disease remains one of the more challenging lesion subsets to treat with percutaneous coronary intervention due to bifurcation geometry and increased risk of target lesion failure. Whilst a provisional approach is preferred in most bifurcations, two-stent techniques may be required where there is a high risk of side branch compromise or a bailout; however, this further increases procedure complexity. Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) are emerging as a promising alternative that allow vessel healing without leaving behind a permanent metallic implant by delivering antiproliferative medication directly to the vessel wall and simplifying procedures. This state-of-the-art review summarises the current evidence and the evolving role of DCBs in the management of coronary bifurcation lesions with a focus on patient- and lesion-specific factors that might influence the treatment strategy choice.