Drug-Eluting Balloons and Drug-Eluting Stents in the Treatment of Peripheral Vascular Disease.

In the last 20 years, peripheral artery disease (PAD) has been increasingly recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. The endovascular treatment of PAD has seen a marked rise as minimally invasive techniques and devices have been refined. Two newer devices, drug-eluting stents and drug-eluting balloons, are on the forefront of the battle against limb loss from PAD. This review focuses on the data backing the use of drug-eluting technologies for use in the peripheral arterial system.