Drug-coated balloon angioplasty: predicting outcomes based on different patterns of drug-eluting stent restenosis

Although drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty is an effective therapy for drug-eluting stent- in stent restenosis (DES-ISR) after coronary stenting, recurrent ISR after DCB angioplasty still occurs. Different patterns of DES-ISR responding to DCB are largely unknown. This study sought to assess outcomes of different patterns of DES-ISR treated with DCB. From December 2014 to December 2016, a total of 160 DES-ISR lesions treated with DCB were retrospectively evaluated. Restenosis patterns were classified into two groups according to Mehran classification: focal, defined as < 10 mm, 58 lesions (36.3%); non-focal, which were diffuse, proliferative, or obstructive, 102 lesions (63.7%). The primary endpoint was binary restenosis rate at 9-month angiographic follow-up. Secondary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 24-month follow-up. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups. Angiographic follow-up rate was 93.7% (93.1% in the focal group and 94.1% in the non-focal group). The focal group had a lower recurrent restenosis rate compared to the non-focal group (3.7% vs. 33.3%, respectively; P = 0.003) at an average angiographic follow-up of 10 (10.4 ± 6.2) months. There was no difference in MACE between the two groups (6.9% vs. 11.8%, respectively; P = 0.70) at (22.7 ± 9.1) months clinical follow-up. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, focal pattern (OR 13.033; 95% CI 2.441–69.573, P = 0.003) and post-procedure DS% (OR 1.142; 95% CI 1.070–1.218, P = 0.000) were predictive factors of binary restenosis after DCB angioplasty. On multivariate analysis, focal pattern of ISR was a predictive factor of MACE (OR 0.260; 95% CI 0.071–0.959, P = 0.043), and diabetes mellitus (DM) was an independent predictor of MACE after DCB angioplasty (OR 5.045; 95% CI 1.179–21.590, P = 0.029). The present study suggests that DCB provides much better clinical, angiographic outcomes in patients with focal DES-ISR than non-focal DES-ISR.