Patency of Drug-Coated versus Conventional Balloon Angioplasty for Hemodialysis Access Stenosis

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the post-intervention target primary patency of drug-coated balloon angioplasty (DCBA) compared with conventional balloon angioplasty (CBA) in the treatment of the dysfunctional autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in a real-world clinical setting. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 24 patients with end-stage renal disease, who developed dysfunctional AVF during hemodialysis, and underwent endovascular treatment using CBA and DCBA from January 1, 2014, to June 30, 2021. The demographic data of patients and details regarding their fistula were recorded. Post-intervention target primary patency was analyzed. Results: Sixteen men and 8 women with an average age of 63.9 ± 14.2 years, who underwent 333 endovascular treatments in 57 target lesions of access were enrolled. DCBA was a protective factor for the treatment of a target lesion of dysfunctional access with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.725 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.528–0.996; P = 0.047). According to the Weibull proportional hazards regression model, DCBA showed a longer post-intervention target primary patency than CBA. Conclusion: DCBA has better outcomes in terms of post-intervention target primary patency in the real-world treatment of dysfunctional autogenous AVF.