The combined use of Drug-eluting balloon and Excimer laser for coronary artery Restenosis In-Stent Treatment: The DERIST study

Aim Stents reduce angiographic restenosis in comparison with balloon angioplasty. The rate of in-stent restenosis (ISR), although less frequent than post-angioplasty restenosis, is becoming increasingly prevalent due to the recent exponential increase in the use of intracoronary stents. The aim of this study is to evaluate angiographic and clinical outcomes of PTCA in combination with the use of excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) and drug-eluting balloon (DEB) in treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR). Methods and results This multi-centric case-control study evaluated angiographic and clinical outcomes of PTCA with excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) and drug-eluting balloon (DEB) in 80 patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR). All patients underwent nine months of clinical and a coronary angiography follow-up. This study showed clinical and angiographic long-term success in the 91% of the patients. The incidence of myocardial infarctions and deaths was lower than the rate after plain balloon angioplasty within the stent. Conclusions This study showed that excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) and drug-eluting balloon (DEB) may be an alternative treatment for in-stent restenosis (ISR).