Coronary Rotational Atherectomy Elective vs. Bailout in Severely Calcified Lesions and Chronic Renal Failure

The current role of the rotational atherectomy is for non-dilatable coronary lesions and for severely calcified lesions that may interfere with optimal stent expansion. Severely calcified coronary lesions are associated with worse outcomes. In this regard, chronic kidney disease is associated with severely calcified coronary arteries. Some evidence suggests that elective rotational atherectomy used by experienced operators can be safe and effective, minimizing time and complications for patients with heavily calcified lesions. However, there is no direct randomized comparison between rotational atherectomy and angioplasty alone in the setting of chronic renal failure and with intravascular ultrasound assessment for detecting severely calcified coronary arteries.