Adverse Events in Primary Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty With Drug-Eluting Stents Compared With Drug-Coated Balloons: A Retrospective Outlook.

Objective To compare drug-eluting stents (DES) with drug-coated balloons (DCBs) in terms of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in patients who have undergone primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Methodology Out of 210 angioplasties in six months, 80 patients were included; 40 in DES and 40 in DCB, respectively. All had a successful PPCI. It was defined as the achievement of thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) grade II/III with <20% residual stenosis for the DES and TIMI grade II/III with <30% residual stenosis for the DCB. Any subsequent MACCE during the ensuing six months were assessed from emergency/outpatient records during their subsequent hospital visits, hospital registry, and telephonic interviews. Results The mean age in the DES group was 54.83 + 8.72 years while it was 56.8 + 8.9 years in the DCB group. The left anterior descending artery (LAD) was the culprit artery in the majority of the cases in both groups. The mean diameter of DES and DCB was 3.17 + 0.38 mm and 2.75 + 0.53 mm, respectively. Overall, 15 adverse events were seen in the DES group and 16 in the DCB group. The difference was insignificant (P-value = ≥ 0.999). There were nine hospitalizations due to chest pain in the DES group and eight in the DCB group. Total vessel revascularization (TVR) was seen in two patients in the DES group and three patients in the DCB group. None of the patients suffered a stroke. All variables of MACCE were non-significant (P-value = ≥ 0.999). Conclusion DCB appears to be non-inferior to DES in PPCI at a median follow-up of six months.