Stent-less percutaneous coronary intervention using rotational atherectomy and drug-coated balloon: A case series and a mini review

Abstract Background Experiences of rotational atherectomy (RA) followed by drug-coated balloon (DCB) dilation alone (RA/DCB) for de novo coronary artery lesion have been limited. Case series Case 1 (65 year-old male) with silent myocardial ischemia and hemodialysis had old anterior myocardial infarction and intact LM/LCx, and underwent RA/DCB against a diffuse calcified lesion in the proximal LAD and a tandem lesion in the proximal RCA. Case 2 (88 year-old female) with post-infarction unstable angina had severe thrombocytopenia and anemia due to myelodysplastic syndrome (platelet 6000/μL, hemoglobin 8.3 g/dL), and underwent RA/DCB against a severe stenosis in the mid LCx after transfusions. Case 3 (47 year-old male) with silent myocardial ischemia due to possible sequelae of Kawasaki disease underwent RA/DCB against a restenotic lesion at the in-let of the calcified aneurysm in the proximal LAD. In all of the patients, PCI was successfully completed under optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) without complications. Follow-up CAG performed 6–7 months after the procedure revealed no restenosis in case 1 and case 3, and all of the 3 cases have been free of cardiovascular/hemorrhagic events for 11–37 months since the last stent-less procedures. Conclusions These cases suggest that RA/DCB under OFDI might be an alternative stent-less revascularization therapy of choice for patients who may be unsuitable for drug-eluting stent implantation.