The heart needs a constant supply of blood. In coronary heart disease, this blood supply gets interrupted or blocked by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries. Drug eluting stents are short, wire mesh tubes inserted in coronary arteries to treat coronary heart disease. This is done in an angioplasty procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention. In the artery, the stent acts like a scaffold to help keep the artery open. To help prevent the artery becoming blocked because of excessive tissue growth around the stent (the body's response to having it), the stent is coated with a medication. Drug eluting stents are in established use in the NHS. Technologies in widespread or established use in the NHS often undergo continuous improvement or incremental innovation, leading to price variation. This NICE assessment aims to support commissioning and procurement decisions by assessing if the value added by incremental innovation justifies the price variation.
 
Status In progress
Technology type Device
Decision Selected
Reason for decision Anticipate the topic will be of importance to patients, carers, professionals, commissioners and the health of the public to ensure clinical benefit is realised, inequalities in use addressed, and help them make the best use of NHS resources
Further information Status change to in development.

Timeline

Key events during the development of the guidance:

Date Update
01 May 2024 In progress