Renal Transplant Arterial Stenosis Treated With Bare-Metal Versus Drug-Eluting Stents: Comparison of Treatment Outcomes

Introduction. This study aims to evaluate outcomes of bare-metal stents (BMS) versus drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients who undergo stenting for transplant renal arterial stenosis. Materials and Methods. We retrospectively reviewed records of renal transplantation patients who underwent transplant renal arterial stenting from September 2009 to September 2013. All stents greater than 5 mm were excluded to allow for equivalent comparison between the DES and BMS groups. Statistical comparisons were performed using a two-tailed Fischer exact test, and analysis of continuous variables was analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance. Results. The final study population included a total of 18 patients who received either BMS or DES (11 and 7 patients, respectively) for transplant renal arterial stenosis. The most common indications for stenting were increasing creatinine level and abnormal Doppler velocities. There were more re-interventions with BMS (n = 4/11) than DES (n = 0/7), but the trend was not statistically significant (P =.12). Three patients who received BMS had a clinically significant decrease in blood pressure versus 4 in the DES group (P =.33). Six patients who received BMS had a clinically significant decrease in creatinine level versus 3 in the DES group (P = 1.0). Conclusion. There is an absolute but not statistically significant difference in the incidence of restenosis requiring repeat intervention between the BMS and DES groups. No difference was detected in clinical success as measured by decreases in blood pressure or creatinine. Future larger studies are needed to corroborate these findings.