S tent implantation constitutes the default strategy during coronary interventions.1,2 Drug-eluting stents (DES) are widely used because of their unique ability to inhibit neointimal proliferation and reduce the restenosis risk.1,2 However, although rare, in-stent restenosis (ISR) still occurs after DES implantation. 3,4 Of concern, several studies have suggested that treatment Background-Treatment of patients with drug-eluting stent (DES) in-stent restenosis (ISR) is more challenging than that of patients with bare-metal stent ISR. However, the results of everolimus-eluting stents (EES) in these distinct scenarios remain unsettled.
Methods and Results-A pooled analysis of the RIBS IV (Restenosis Intra-Stent of Drug-Eluting Stents: Paclitaxel-ElutingBalloon vs Everolimus-Eluting Stent) and RIBS V (Restenosis Intra-Stent of Bare Metal Stents: Paclitaxel-Eluting Balloon vs Everolimus-Eluting Stent) randomized trials was performed using patient-level data to compare the efficacy of EES in bare-metal stent ISR and DES-ISR. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were identical in both trials. Results of 94 patients treated with EES for bare-metal stent ISR were compared with those of 155 patients treated with EES for DES-ISR. Baseline characteristics were more adverse in patients with DES-ISR, although they presented later and more frequently with a focal pattern. After intervention, minimal lumen diameter (2.22±0.5 versus 2.38±0.5 mm, P=0.01) was smaller in the DES-ISR group. Late angiographic findings (89.3% of eligible patients), including minimal lumen diameter (2.03±0.7 versus 2.36±0.6 mm, P<0.001) and diameter stenosis (23±22 versus 13±17%, P<0.001) were poorer in patients with DES-ISR. Results were consistent in the in-segment and in-lesion analyses. On multiple linear regression analysis, minimal lumen diameter at followup remained significantly smaller in patients with DES-ISR. Finally, at 1-year clinical follow-up (100% of patients), mortality (2.6 versus 0%, P<0.01) and need for target vessel revascularization (8 versus 2%, P=0.03) were higher in the DES-ISR group.
Conclusions-This patient-level pooled analysis of the RIBS IV and RIBS V randomized clinical trials suggests that EESprovide favorable outcomes in patients with ISR. However, the results of EES are less satisfactory in patients with DES-ISR than in those with bare-metal stent ISR. Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifiers: NCT01239953 and NCT01239940. Current address for A. of patients with DES-ISR is more challenging than treatment of patients with bare-metal stent (BMS) ISR. 5-9 Indeed, long-term clinical and angiographic results of patients treated for DES-ISR are significantly poorer than those seen in patients treated for BMS-ISR. [5][6][7][8][9] These findings have been demonstrated in patients with ISR treated with first-generation DES. 5,6 Recent studies suggest that drug-eluting balloons (DEB), another well-established therapy in this scenario, are also associated with poorer long-term clinical and ang...