Comparison of outcomes in patients undergoing rotational atherectomy after unsuccessful coronary angioplasty versus elective rotational atherectomy

INTRODUCTION: Revascularization of patients with heavily calcified coronary arteries can be a challenge for interventional cardiologists. The procedural success rate in these patients can be improved by using rotational atherectomy (RA). AIM: To compare in-hospital outcomes and those at 12-month follow-up between patients who underwent RA as a bailout procedure secondary to failed conventional angioplasty or as an elective procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of 156 consecutive patients hospitalized at a high-volume percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) center who underwent RA. In 43 (27.6%) patients, RA was performed on an elective basis (group 1). In 113 (72.4%) patients RA was carried out after unsuccessful traditional angioplasty (group 2). CONCLUSIONS: Rotational atherectomy is associated with high efficacy and a relatively low risk of complications, with no significant differences in outcomes between patients treated with primary and secondary RA procedures.