Risk of acute kidney injury after percutaneous coronary intervention with plaque modification

The use of plaque modification techniques during percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) has increased. However, these procedures are linked to higher contrast volume and hypotensive episodes, which are risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI). This study examined the effects of various plaque modification techniques on AKI after PCI.

We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent PCI at our institution between December 2020 to March 2024, categorizing them into 3 groups based on the plaque modification technique used: atherectomy, intravascular lithotripsy (IVL), or no plaque modification (NPM). The primary endpoint was AKI, and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of AKI. Multivariable analysis and propensity score matching (1:1) were performed to control for confounders.

In total, 1758 patients were included. Atherectomy was performed in 268 (15.2 %) patients, IVL in 120 (6.8 %) patients, and 1370 (77.9 %) patients had NPM. Atherectomy patients were older and had worse baseline renal function than the IVL and NPM groups (p < 0.001 for both). Compared with NPM, atherectomy was an independent predictor of AKI (odds ratio [OR] 1.27, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.98, p = 0.037), while IVL was not (OR 1.30, 95 % CI 0.84-2.08, p = 0.209). In a propensity-matched analysis of 101 atherectomy and IVL patient pairs, atherectomy-based PCI remained associated with a higher rate of AKI (11.9 % vs. 2.0 %; p = 0.013).

Atherectomy, but not IVL, is associated with a higher risk of AKI after PCI, compared to NPM. This underscores the importance of thoughtfully selecting plaque modification strategies in high-risk patients to reduce renal adverse events following PCI.