Long-term effects of rotational atherectomy in patients with heavy calcified coronary artery lesions: a single-centre experience

Abstract

Rotational atherectomy (RA) plays a significant role in contemporary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), especially in the era of population aging and expansion of PCI indications. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the rate of periprocedural complications, the long-term effectiveness of RA, and potential factors influencing the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and major cardiac as well as cerebrovascular events (MACCE) after RA. The study included 60 consecutive patients who underwent effective RA between January 2002 and May 2016. Patients were followed-up for 2,616 days for MACE and MACCE. The mean age of the enrolled patients was 72.1 years, and 78.3% were males. The mean follow-up period lasted 835.3 ± 611.8 days. Periprocedural complications occurred in 12 (20.0%) patients. In the follow-up of up to 2,616 days, 64% of patients were free of MACCE and 68% were free of MACE. Univariate Cox analysis revealed that MACCE occurred more often in patients from the high-risk group based on the EuroSCORE II and those with longer lengths of the implanted stent(s) after the RA procedure. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, both high-risk category and mean stent(s) length were identified as independent predictors of MACCE. EuroSCORE II was confirmed to be the only independent predictor of MACE after RA. Rotational atherectomy is a safe and sufficient technique for the endovascular treatment of heavily calcified coronary artery lesions. Individuals at a higher risk as assessed by the EuroSCORE II before RA and those with longer stent(s) implanted after RA are predisposed to MACCE in the follow-up.