Background/Objectives: Calcified coronary lesions require plaque modification techniques for optimal stent apposition, of which rotational atherectomy (RA) is the most commonly used one. Challenging cases require the use of additional dedicated devices (such as modified balloons, MB); however, data available for evidence-based device selection are limited. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of the balloon-based technology used after successful RA treatment on outcomes. Methods: This study was carried out according to the PRISMA guidelines. MEDLINE, CENTRAL and Embase databases were systematically searched for eligible randomized and non-randomized studies. Results: A total of nine studies and 1024 patients were included in the analysis. Patients were treated with RA followed by either plain balloon angioplasty (RA + BA) or modified balloon (RA + MB) treatment prior to stent implantation. There was no significant difference in MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events; OR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.21-1.34; p = 0.153), all-cause mortality (OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.33-1.42; p = 0.265), and target lesion revascularization (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.27-1.55; p = 0.264) between the two groups. However, a sensitivity analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in MACE for patients with severely calcified lesions (OR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.25-0.70; p = 0.009) in the RA + MB group. The analyses of the safety outcomes of slow flow/no reflow (OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.29-1.22; p = 0.128) and coronary artery perforation (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.70-1.99; p = 0.480) showed no difference between the two groups. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggests that the benefit of the more invasive RA + MB treatment is statistically significant for severely calcified lesions, but is not associated with additional procedural complications.
Keywords: calcified coronary artery disease; major adverse cardiovascular events; modified balloon; plaque modification; rotational atherectomy.