Influence of additional ballooning with a dual wire balloon after a rotational atherectomy to expand drug-eluting stent for calcified lesions.

Calcified lesions have been known as a cause of stent underexpansion which increases the risk of thrombosis and in-stent restenosis. A dual wire balloon has been introduced to create a focal stress pattern in a localized region of the calcification. We evaluated the combination therapy using a dual wire balloon after rotational atherectomy (RA) for heavily calcified lesions. Of 21 consecutive patients with severe calcified lesions, 10 patients were treated with a dual wire balloon after RA, and 11 patients were treated with RA alone or, RA plus the conventional balloon. Finally, drugeluting stents (DES) were implanted in all cases. Baseline characteristics, lesion characteristics, and postdilatation procedures were not different between two groups. Before implantation of DES, a dual wire balloon enabled adequate dilatation with significantly more cracks than RA (1.8 ± 0.4 cracks vs. 1.2 ± 0.6 cracks, P = 0.02). The minimal stent cross sectional area (CSA) and the stent expansion ratio were similar in both groups. However, the symmetrical expansion was significantly accomplished in patients with a dual wire balloon compared to those without it (mean ratio calculated by dividing the shortest diameter by the longest diameter at the site of the minimal stent CSA was 0.83 ± 0.05 vs. 0.76 ± 0.07, P = 0.02). Moreover, no in-stent restenosis was observed in patients treated with a dual wire balloon at follow-up. In conclusion, by using a dual wire balloon after RA, adequate stent expansion and follow-up results were accomplished. This combination therapy is safety and feasible procedure for the treatment of severe calcified lesions.