Clinical outcomes of first- and second-generation drug-eluting stents in patients undergoing rotational atherectomy for heavily calcified coronary lesions

Background: There is paucity of data regarding the clinical outcome of second generation drug- eluting stents (DES) post rotational atherectomy (RA) for heavily calcified coronary lesions (HCCL). Methodology: The study cohort comprised 99 (116 lesions) consecutive patients who underwent RA for HCCL at our institution and received either a first generation DES (40 patients, 53 lesions) or a second generation DES (59 patients, 63 lesions). The analyzed clinical parameters were the 12-month rates of death (all cause and cardiac), Q-wave MI, target lesion revascularization (TLR), definite stent thrombosis (ST) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as the composite of death, Q-wave MI, or TLR. Results: The two groups were well matched for their baseline characteristics except for a lower left ventricular ejection fraction in the second generation DES group (46.0 ± 23.0% vs. 55.0 ± 9.0%; p = 0.02). The group receiving second generation DES had more type C lesions (81.0% vs. 58.8%; p = 0.01), shorter stent length (19.9 ± 6.1 mm vs. 22.7 ± 7.3 mm; p = 0.04) and was more likely to undergo stent postdilatation (52.4% vs. 23.1%; p = 0.001). The 1-year analyzed clinical parameters were similar in the two groups: all cause death (8.5% vs. 10.3%; p = 1.0), cardiac death (8.5% vs. 2.5%; p = 0.40), Q-wave MI (0% vs. 0%), TLR (3.6% vs. 2.7%; p = 1.0), ST (0% vs. 0%), and MACE (11.9% vs. 12.8%; p = 1.0). The 1-year MACE-free survival rate was also similar in the two cohorts. Conclusion: The use of second generation DES, following RA for HCCL, is associated with similar short and long-term clinical outcomes to first generation DES.