Recent studies have shown that a drug coated balloons (DCB) based approach resulted non inferior when compared against drug eluting stents (DES) only approach in patients with instent restenosis and de novo lesions in small vessel disease. So far, two international consensuses have reported the use of DCB is feasible and safe to treat native…
BIODEGRADE: Does Stent Design Affect Long-Term Clinical Results?
Recent studies have shown that drug-eluting stents with biodegradable polymer and ultrathin struts are safe and effective, including low rates of stent thrombosis. This is why researchers conducted the BIODEGRADE (Biomatrix and Orsiro Drug-Eluting Stents in Angiographic Result in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease) study, which showed the non-inferiority at 18 months of ultrathin biodegradable polymer…
What Is the Best Strategy for Moderately Complex Femoropopliteal Lesions?
At present, PCI is the preferred treatment for femoropopliteal lesions and drug coated balloons (DCB) have shown good performance. However, they have not yet been shown superior to bare-metal stents (BMS). This study compared randomized trials IN.PACT SFA I/II and IN.PACT JAPAN including 288 patients vs. the prospective Complete SE and DURABILITY II with 483…
IN.PACT Study | Should We Start Using DCBs More Frequently in Cases of Femoropopliteal Disease?
With the new devices (drug-eluting balloons [DEB], drug-eluting stents [DES], and atherotomes) percutaneous treatment is becoming the first line of approach for femoropopliteal disease, especially when dealing with not very long total occlusions. Randomized studies and registries on the use of drug-coated balloons (DCB) in femoropopliteal disease are currently available, but their evolution beyond 2…
Left Main Coronary Artery PCI Using State-of-the-Art Zotarolimus-Eluting Stents
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to the left main coronary artery (LMCA) with drug-eluting stent implantation is currently a major challenge due to the size of the vessel, the compromise of a bifurcation lesion in important branches, and the potential risk of complications. Available information on LMCA PCI comes from studies where DES stents were implanted…
The New Sirolimus Eluting Balloons Are Also Effective
The technological development of drug eluting stents has allowed us to treat increasingly complex patients, with around 10% stenosis and using more, and longer stents. This situation generates a great challenge: keep using stents or use paclitaxel coated balloons (PCB). At present, there are sirolimus drug coated balloons (SCB), but we do not have enough…
Thin vs. Ultrathin Stents: 1-Year Clinical Results After IVUS/OCT-Guided Implantation
Second generation drug-eluting stents have lower frequency of thrombotic complications and in-stent restenosis. While clinical results have significantly improved, having a 2-3% annual rate of these complications within the first year after angioplasty is still worrisome. This resulted in the development of stents with struts <70 µm (ultrathin), with bioresorbable polymer and abluminal cover. Stents…
Results of Zotarolimus-Eluting Stents vs Biolimus-Eluting Polymer-Free Stents After 2 Years. Are They Safe in Patients at High Risk for Bleeding?
The proportion of patients treated with coronary angioplasty who are at a high risk for bleeding is increasing. In this population, extended dual antithrombotic therapy increases the risk of bleeding. The 1-year randomized Onyx one study has demonstrated the non-inferiority of zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES) vs. biolimus-coated polymer-free stent BioFreedom (DCS). Patients received dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT)…
Using Biolimus-Coated Balloons for Treating Small-Vessel Disease Yields Promising Results
Drug-eluting balloons have demonstrated safety and effectiveness in the treatment of small-vessel coronary artery disease and in-stent restenosis. However, randomized studies were performed using paclitaxel. Several studies have shown that using biolimus, a semisynthetic analog of sirolimus, optimizes drug delivery in both stents and balloons. The aim of this randomized, multicenter study was to evaluate…
Coronary Angioplasty Evolution According to Syntax II: 5-Year Followup
It has been long since the SYNTAX (NEJM 2009) came out comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) against coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). That emblematic study associated PCI with first generation drug eluting stents (Taxus) with increased major cardiac and cerebrovascular events (all-cause mortality, AMI, stroke, or any revascularization – MACCE) vs. CABG, at 5 years,…