Effects of intervention with new devices on calcified coronary artery in hemodialysis patients

To assess the restenosis rate after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in HD patients. Fifty-seven HD patients (total 174 angioplasties in 114 segments) were examined more than 3 months after PTCA treatment. Restenosis was defined as >50% narrowing of expanded coronary lumen. The overall restenosis rate was 45% (78/174) more than 3 months after PTCA. Calcified coronary lesions were observed in 48 patients (85%) and 92 segments (82%). Among 174 angioplasties, 102 cases (non-calcified vs calcified 22:80) were treated with plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA), 23 (5:18) with cutting balloon angioplasty (CBA) and 49 (7:42) with stent implantation (STENT). In overall cases, restenosis rate was significantly lower in STENT (22.5%) than in POBA (54.9%). The use of new devices (CBA: 50.0%, STENT: 23.8%), when compared to conventional PTCA (POBA: 60.0%), significantly reduced the rate of restenosis in calcified coronary lesions. These data suggest that new devices such as CBA and STENT are beneficial methods of treating calcified coronary lesions in HD patients.