This observational study investigated the value of drug-coated balloons (DCB) only strategy in bifurcation lesions in a consecutive series of all comer percutaneous coronary intervention.

Local application of paclitaxcel by DCB has clinical benefits in various settings including coronary bifurcations. While so far most bifurcation studies investigated sequential application of DCBs to the main (MB) and side branch (SB) with stenting of the MB, we report first results after DCB intervention without additional stenting of the MB or SB.

We performed 39 consecutive DCB only interventions in de novo bifurcation lesions with SB ≥2 mm and scheduled follow-up angiography after 4 months. Patients refusing angiography had telephone follow-up.

Follow-up angiograms were obtained in 30 out of 39 DCB only interventions. 33.3 % were located in the left main (LM) bifurcation, 28.2 % in left anterior descending (LAD), 20.5 % in left circumflex (LCX) and 17.9 % in the right coronary artery. Four months after index procedure no patient had died, experienced myocardial infarction or stroke. Follow-up angiograms showed restenosis in 3 out of 30 interventions (10 %), 2 developing in the distal main (6.7 %) and 1 in the SB (3.3 %). All three patients had been treated for LM/LAD/LCX bifurcations and suffered from most severe coronary artery disease, but had not been eligible for CABG for various reasons. Target lesion revascularization was performed in 3 out of 39 patients consistent with a MACE rate of 7.7 %.

Treatment of de novo bifurcation lesions with DCB only intervention without additional stenting is a safe therapy with low rates of restenosis and TLR.