Drug-Coated Balloon Venoplasty for In-Stent Restenosis in a Patient with Recurrent Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Post Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: Initial Experience with a New Treatment Technique

Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is an uncommon but serious complication following radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation. Occurrence of this complication has risen with increased rates of ablation procedures, with >50,000 AF ablation procedures performed per year, and can occur within weeks to months post procedure. Currently, the main therapies for PVS include percutaneous interventions with balloon angioplasty and stenting, but these treatments are complicated by a high rate of restenosis. The optimal treatment for recurrent pulmonary vein in-stent restenosis has not been determined. We describe the novel use of a paclitaxel drug-coated balloon for the treatment of in-stent restenosis of the pulmonary veins.