1 Guidance

1.1 Drug-eluting stents are recommended for use in percutaneous coronary intervention for treating stable angina, within their instructions for use, only if:

  • the target artery to be treated has less than a 3-mm calibre or the lesion is longer than 15 mm, and

  • the price difference between drug-eluting stents and bare-metal stents is no more than £300. [2020]

    For recommendations on drug-eluting stents for people with unstable angina, non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), see recommendation 1.1.18 and recommendation 1.2.18 in NICE's guideline on acute coronary syndromes.

  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)