Objective: The impact of vessel injury on the outcome of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention combined with brachytherapy for in-stent restenosis is under investigation. We report our clinical experience adopting a low aggressive balloon angioplasty technique, to limit vessel trauma, associated with brachytherapy and short-term dual antiplatelet therapy.
Methods: Forty-nine consecutive patients, undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with brachytherapy for symptomatic in-stent restenosis, were prospectively observed for a median time of 21 + or - 8 months. Clinical follow-up included anginal status, death, myocardial infarction and repeat revascularization; only patients with evidence of ischaemia repeated coronary angiography. Low aggressive angioplasty consisted in the use of a conventional balloon with a balloon to artery ratio < or = 1, avoiding high inflation pressures and the use of other devices. Dual antiplatelet therapy was continued for 3-6 months.
Results: Early angiographic result was good and the need for additional stent implantation was low (3.9%). At follow-up, we did not observe death, acute myocardial infarction or stent thrombosis, but 10 patients repeated coronary angiography for recurrence of ischaemia: disease progression was present in two cases (4.1%). Restenosis emerged in the remaining eight patients (16.3%): two cases showed restenosis within the target lesion segment, one case within the injured segment, one case within the radiated segment, and four cases at the edges. The consequent new revascularization was surgical in three patients and percutaneous in seven patients.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that low aggressive angioplasty followed by brachytherapy and short-term dual antiplatelet therapy for in-stent restenosis is related to a good outcome, with a low restenosis rate and without stent thrombosis.