Drug-Eluting Balloon Angioplasty for Carotid In-Stent Restenosis

Purpose: To report midterm results of 3 cases in which drug-eluting balloons (DEBs) were successfully used for the management of carotid in-stent restenosis (ISR). Case Report: Two women aged 68 and 70 years and a 68-year-old man were referred to our institution for asymptomatic severe stenosis [>80% with peak systolic velocity (PSV) >300 cm/s by Doppler ultrasound assessment] of individual Carotid Wallstents implanted in the proximal left internal carotid artery (ICA). In the angiosuite, the left ICA was engaged in a telescopic fashion with a triple coaxial system formed by a 6-F long sheath and a preloaded 5-F, 125-cm diagnostic catheter over a 0.035-inch soft hydrophilic guidewire. Under distal filter protection, the lesions were predilated using a 3.5X20-mm coronary balloon and then treated with two 1-minute inflations of a 4X40-mm Amphirion In.Pact paclitaxel-eluting balloon, followed by 3 months of dual antiplatelet therapy. At 12, 22, and 36 months, respectively, the patients are still asymptomatic, with duplex-documented stent patency at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Conclusion: DEBs are an emerging strategy for carotid ISR, with encouraging midterm results in these patients. Further experience in larger cohorts is needed to confirm these preliminary observations. J Endovasc Thor. 2012;19:729-733