A Survey of Drug-coated Balloon Usage Patterns in the Asia-Pacific Region

Abstract

Background: Drug-coated balloon (DCB) therapy has been shown to be an effective alternative to drug-eluting stents as a revascularisation option, but usage of DCB varies widely between different countries. The aim of this study was to review the awareness of the DCB expert consensus paper and the prevalence of DCB usage among interventionists in the Asia-Pacific region. Methods: An online questionnaire was designed to explore the awareness of the DCB expert consensus paper and evaluate the prevalence of DCB usage. This was sent to interventional cardiologists in collaboration with the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology. Results: The total number of respondents was 237. Slightly more than half were unaware of the DCB expert consensus paper, and the majority use fewer than 10 DCBs per month. Statistical analysis showed that awareness of the DCB expert consensus paper had a positive correlation with increased DCB usage when treating patients with high bleeding risk, bifurcation disease and small vessel disease, while increased frequency of DCB usage was positively correlated with the treatment of patients with high bleeding risk and small vessel disease. However, these two factors were not significantly associated with the increased use of DCB to treat in-stent restenosis. Conclusion: With emerging data expanding the indications for DCB and increasing operator experience, DCB usage is likely to become more commonplace during percutaneous coronary intervention.