Drug Eluting Balloon (DEB) vs Plain Old Balloon Angioplasty (POBA) in the Treatment of Failing Dialysis Access

Background Conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is still considered standard treatment for treatment of dysfunctional haemodialysis fistulas and grafts. The most important drawback with this treatment is frequent restenosis leading to a high number of secondary procedures. There is conflicting evidence in the literature regarding primary or secondary treatment with drug eluting balloons (DEB). These balloons deliver Paclitaxel locally, which acts as an antiproliferative drug and may improve treatment outcomes. Methods This study was conducted as a prospective 1:1 randomized single centre clinical trial. Participants had primary or re-stenotic lesions in native upper extremity arteriovenous fistulas or at the graft-venous anastomosis. Patients were randomized to direct primary dilatation, with either a standard balloon or a DEB. The primary effectiveness endpoints were freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR), access circuit revascularization or thrombosis, functional status of access circuit at 12 months. Secondary endpoints were procedural complications, procedural success, follow up survival and time to target lesion revascularization.