Atherectomy brings gain at cost of complications:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Atherectomy gives an increased acute gain in ostial lesions but has a higher rate of non-Q wave MI than balloon angioplasty. Restenosis is no better either, according to data from over 1,000 CAVEAT-I patients with proximal, left-anterior descending coronary artery lesions (Coronary Angioplasty Versus Excisional Atherectomy Trial). DCA (directional atherectomy) reduced restenosis in non-ostial lesions but led to more periprocedural MI and did not decrease the need for bypass surgery at six months (JACC, May).