Clinical Outcomes of Repetition of Drug-Coated Balloon for Femoropopliteal Restenosis After Drug-Coated Balloon Treatment

Repeat drug-coated balloon angioplasty for femoropopliteal lesions: 12-month results from a retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND

The clinical implications of restenosis after drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment remain unclear. We compared the clinical outcomes between DCB angioplasty for restenosis and de novo femoropopliteal artery lesions. This single-center retrospective study included 571 patients (737 limbs) who underwent either repeat (54 patients, 64 limbs) or de novo DCB (517 patients, 673 limbs) without bailout stenting. After propensity score matching, 49 matched pairs were analyzed. The primary endpoint was the 1-year primary patency, with secondary endpoints including the freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR), major adverse limb events (MALE), and early restenosis. Predictors of restenosis were identified using multivariable Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

The repeat-DCB group displayed significantly lower rates of 1-year primary patency and freedom from TLR compared to those of the de novo-DCB group (50.1% vs. 77.4%, p = 0.029 and 54.9% vs. 83.6%, p = 0.0.44, respectively). No significant differences were observed in early restenosis or MALE (10.7% vs. 5.9%, p = 0.455 and 48.3% vs. 73.4%, p = 0.055, respectively). Restenosis after DCB angioplasty was associated with repeat DCB (hazard ratio [HR], 5.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43-18.4; p = 0.012) and small vessel size of < 4.5 mm (HR, 6.25; 95% CI, 1.17-33.4; p = 0.032). Furthermore, restenosis after repeat DCB angioplasty was associated with the Peripheral Artery Calcification Scoring System (PACSS) grade 4 (HR, 4.20; 95% CI, 1.08-16.3; p = 0.038), small vessel size of < 4.5 mm (HR, 9.44; 95% CI, 1.21-73.7; p = 0.032), and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) use (HR, 0.05; 95% CI, 0.01-0.44; p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

The 1-year primary patency rate following repeat DCB angioplasty for femoropopliteal lesions was notably lower than that of DCB treatment for de novo lesions. Repeat DCB strategy was associated with an increased risk of patency loss. Regarding repeat restenosis after DCB treatments, PACSS grade 4 calcification and small vessel diameter of < 4.5 mm were associated with an increased risk of restenosis, whereas IVUS use correlated with a decreased risk of restenosis.

Effect of High-Dose Drug-Coated Balloon Repetition After Drug-Coated Balloon Failure

PURPOSE

Although the optimal treatment for femoropopliteal (FP) drug-coated balloon (DCB) restenosis lesions remains debatable, the effectiveness of DCB repetition for DCB restenosis has been reported. However, the optimal DCB repetition strategy is not yet established. Thus, this study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of high-dose DCB repetition with those of low-dose DCB repetition for FP DCB restenosis lesions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This single-center, observational study used a clinical database of 677 consecutive patients undergoing FP endovascular intervention for symptomatic peripheral artery disease between December 2018 and December 2021. Of these patients, 89 cases treated with DCB repetition for FP DCB restenosis lesions were analyzed. The primary endpoint was recurrent restenosis (re-restenosis) and the secondary endpoints were recurrent target-lesion revascularization (TLR), re-occlusion, and major adverse limb events (MALE) obtained using propensity score matching. Interaction analysis was also performed to explore the effects of the baseline characteristics on the association between high- and low-dose DCB with restenosis risk.

RESULTS

After propensity score matching, high-dose DCB demonstrated a significantly higher freedom from re-restenosis compared with low-dose DCB repetition at 1 year (90.4% vs 40.9%, p=0.034). In addition, freedom from re-TLR and MALE at 1 year was significantly higher in the high-dose DCB group (95.0% vs 53.3%, p=0.025; 95.0% vs 54.7%, p=0.025, respectively). Conversely, freedom rates from re-occlusion were not significantly different between the 2 groups (100.0% vs 84.0%, p=0.99). No baseline characteristics or perioperative outcomes had any significant interaction effect on the association of high-dose DCB versus low-dose DCB with restenosis risk.

CONCLUSION

For FP DCB restenosis lesions, high-dose DCB repetition offered more favorable outcomes than low-dose DCB repetition.

CLINICAL IMPACT

This study revealed that for femoropopliteal drug-coated balloon (DCB) restenosis lesions, high-dose DCB repetition obtained more favorable outcomes than low-dose DCB repetition. In addition, there was no significant interaction effect on the association of high- versus low-dose DCB with re-restenosis risk for the baseline characteristics and perioperative outcomes. This finding might be also a reason for choosing high-dose DCB repetition for FP DCB restenosis lesions in daily clinical practice.

Comparison of Balloon Angioplasty and Stent Implantation for Femoropopliteal Disease According to Patient and Lesion Subgroup

Background: Little is known about the superiority of balloon angioplasty vs. stent implantation for femoropopliteal (FP) lesions according to subgroup.

Methods and Results: This study involved 1,018 de novo (balloon angioplasty, n=462; stent implantation, n=556) and 114 in-stent restenosis (ISR) FP lesions (balloon angioplasty, n=69; stent implantation, n=45) treated with endovascular therapy. For de novo FP lesions, the 3-year primary patency rate was significantly better with stent implantation than with balloon angioplasty (61% vs. 69%, log-rank P=0.001), but it was similar for ISR FP lesions (40% vs. 43%, log-rank P=0.83). For de novo FP lesions, stent implantation was favorable in all subgroups except for female sex (hazard ratio [HR], 0.92; 95% CI: 0.65–1.31, P=0.66), critical limb ischemia (CLI; HR, 0.70; 95% CI: 0.46–1.06, P=0.10), calcified lesion (HR, 0.81; 95% CI: 0.46–1.39, P=0.44), and poor tibial run-off (HR, 0.86; 95% CI: 0.59–1.25, P=0.42) subgroups. No difference was found between the 2 treatment strategies for ISR FP lesions in the majority of subgroups. Stent implantation, however, was favorable in totally occluded ISR FP lesions (HR, 0.45; 95% CI: 0.21–1.01, P=0.05).

Conclusions: The primary patency rate in de novo FP lesions for the 2 treatment strategies was similar in the female, calcified lesion, CLI, and poor tibial run-off subgroups. Stent implantation was superior to balloon angioplasty for totally occluded ISR FP lesions.

Failure mode and bimodal restenosis of drug-coated balloon in femoropopliteal intervention

BACKGROUND

Pattern of DCB restenosis and associated outcomes in facing complex femoropopliteal lesions remain uncertain.

METHODS

Data were retrospectively collected from dual centers in Taiwan on patients who underwent treatment with DCBs for femoropopliteal lesions between 2013 and 2016. The restenosis pattern was categorized by the index-treated length. Clinical outcomes and time to DCB restenosis were retrospectively analyzed. Cox proportional hazards model identified restenosis predictors.

RESULTS

We recruited a total of 164 patients (91 men; median age 73 years) into the final analysis. The mean lesion length was 204.0 ± 109.2 mm. Of them, 45% total occlusions, 28% severe calcification and 15% in-stent restenosis were treated. Fifty-five patients have DCB restenosis (28 focal and 27 diffuse-occlusive patterns) over a 55-month follow-up. The median restenosis time emerged as a bimodal pattern with a significant difference between the diffuse-occlusive and focal restenosis group (225 vs. 484 days, P = 0.01). The 1-year patency rate after reintervention for DCB restenosis also was different between both restenosis group (29% vs. 65%, P = 0.017). The anticipated timing of escape for diffuse-occlusive or focal restenosis was 687 and 1068 days, respectively. Independent factors were lesion length (P = 0.049) for diffuse-occlusive restenosis and lumen gain of the popliteal artery for focal restenosis (P = 0.034).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated time to DCB failure emerged as a bimodal pattern of distribution and associations of restenosis pattern to subsequent outcomes after the repeated intervention. Exemption from late catchup restenosis required 3-year observation instead of the 1-year mark for conventional treatment.

Drug-Coated Balloon vs. Conventional Balloon Angioplasty in Dialysis Patients With Symptomatic Femoropopliteal Disease - A Matched Comparison

BACKGROUND

Recent randomized trials have shown the treatment benefits of use of a drug-coated balloon (DCB) over conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in patients with femoropopliteal disease. However, the effectiveness and safety of DCB for dialysis patients remain unclear.Methods and Results:Consecutive dialysis patients, who underwent PTA or DCB for femoropopliteal disease, were assessed retrospectively via 2:1 propensity score matching. Effectiveness and safety endpoints, including binary restenosis, clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR), amputations, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and deaths, were compared between groups. A total of 278 dialysis patients with 339 limbs were eligible for matching: 84 limbs from 77 patients treated with PTA and 46 limbs from 37 patients treated with DCB were compared after matching. Baseline patient and lesion characteristics were not different between groups. Patients treated with DCB had significantly higher rates of freedom from binary restenosis (52.4% vs. 18.6%, P<0.001) and CD-TLR (56.4% vs. 25.9%, P=0.001) at 2 years compared with patients treated with PTA. Both groups had similar outcomes for amputation, MACE, and death. Cox proportional analysis showed that treatment with DCB was independently associated with a reduction of binary restenosis (hazard ratio [HR] 0.368, P=0.001) and CD-TLR (HR 0.390, P=0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested superior 2-year outcomes using DCB compared with PTA and similar safety profiles in dialysis patients with femoropopliteal disease.