A systematic review and meta-analysis of drug-coated balloon versus conventional balloon angioplasty for dialysis access stenosis

Abstract Background Arteriovenous fistulas for patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) are at high risk of stenosis. Despite conventional balloon angioplasty (CBA), restenosis rates are high. The use of a drug-coated balloon (DCB) may offer an alternative to reduce restenosis. Methods This study has been performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. An electronic search on MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was performed to identify articles evaluating DCB angioplasty for patients with HD access stenosis. Risk ratios (RRs) of primary patency were pooled, and relevant subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Results There were 17 studies (8 randomized controlled trials [RCTs], 9 cohort studies) included, comprising a total of 1113 stenotic dialysis accesses, of which 54.7% underwent DCB angioplasty and 45.3% underwent CBA. There was a significantly superior 6-month (RR, 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44-0.74; P  Conclusions DCB angioplasty appears to be a better and safe alternative to CBA in treating patients with HD stenosis in terms of 6- and 12-month primary patency. However, a larger trial is warranted to establish these findings.