Background Left main coronary bifurcation lesions account for 50% of left main coronary artery disease cases. Although a drug-coated balloon (DCB) has the advantages of immediate release of the drug to the arterial wall and no remaining struts, there is no conclusive evidence to support DCB use.
Methods & Results We conducted a systematic review in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Eighteen retrospective studies and two prospective studies in which left main bifurcation lesions were treated with DCBs were included in our qualitative analysis. The studies were divided into two groups according to the type of DCB used: DCB only and DCB + stent. At the midterm follow-up, the use of DCBs had noninferior or even superior angiographic and clinical outcomes in treating left main bifurcation lesions compared with the use of drug-eluting stents or conventional balloons, whether for de novo or in-stent restenosis lesions. Additionally, side branch late lumen enlargement was observed in several of the included studies, which indicates that DCBs may have the advantage of side branch protection.
Conclusions According to our descriptive analysis, the DCB technique has a favorable safety and efficacy profiles for the treatment of left main bifurcation lesions. However, additional studies, especially randomized controlled trials, are needed to establish standards for the DCB technique.
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