Coronary angioplasty early after diagnosis of unstable angina

Coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was performed early after diagnosis of unstable angina in 71 patients who responded favorably with initial pharmacologic treatment and who also had persistent exertional angina. The patients selected for PTCA had predominantly single-vessel disease and a normal or slightly abnormal left ventricular function. PTCA was successful in 87% (62/71) of the patients and unsuccessful in 13% (9/71). There were no deaths related to PTCA. The incidence of myocardial infarction during the procedure was 10% (seven of the 71 patients). Urgent bypass surgery was necessary in 11% (eight of 71 patients) of the patients. All patients were followed up for 12 months. There was one late death and one late nonfatal myocardial infarction. During 12 months of follow-up there was recurrence of angina pectoris in 25% of the patients (14/62). The restenosis rate was 25% (13/52) in the patients with an initial successful PTCA who underwent repeat angiography. Improved cardiac functional status after sustained successful PTCA was demonstrated by the normal exercise capacity on bicycle exercise testing and the absence of ischemia on thallium 201 scintigraphy studies in 70% of the patients. At the 1-year follow-up visit after attempted coronary angioplasty in all 71 patients, the total incidence of deaths was 1.5% (one patient), myocardial infarction 11% (eight patients), and the need for revascularization 25% (emergency surgery eight patients, late surgery three patients, and repeat PTCA seven patients); 91% (64 of 70 patients) were symptom free. It is concluded that PTCA in selected patients with unstable angina initially stabilized with medical treatment is an effective treatment with an acceptable complication rate and an excellent 1-year prognosis

The “Long‐Sheath” Technique in Percutaneous Aortic Balloon Valvuloplasty

A new 100 cm long 16.5 French valvuloplasty introducer was used in 12 consecutive patients (mean age 73 years, five males and seven females) undergoing aortic balloon valvuloplasty for severe aortic stenosis. The long‐sheath was introduced into the ascending aorta along the stiff part of an exchange guidewire. The valvuloplasty procedure, which included a complete diagnostic catheterization in three patients, lasted 113 ± 47 min (211 ± 81 min in the previous 18 procedures performed with a conventional approach, P < 0.05). Introduction of balloon catheters (3 × 12 mm trefoil balloon in the 12 cases and 2 × 19 mm bifoil balloon in 2 of these cases) was possible in all patients and an increased stability of the balloon during inflation was observed. No systemic embolization or vascular complications occurred at the puncture site. The long‐sheath technique appears to be a valuable adjunct for aortic valvuloplasty in that it provides easier and quicker access for even the largest balloons and additional support and stability during balloon inflation. In our experience, this reduced the practical difficulties and the duration of the procedure. Copyrigh

Recovery of regional myocardial dysfunction after successful coronary angioplasty early after a non-Q wave myocardial infarction

More aggressive therapy has been suggested for patients who have a non-Q wave myocardial infarction (MI) because of the frequency of subsequent unstable angina, recurrent MI, and high mortality rate compared to patients with Q wave MI. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of coronary angioplasty on regional myocardial function of the infarct zone in patients with angina early after a non-Q wave MI. The study population consisted of 36 patients undergoing successful coronary angioplasty within 30 days of a non-Q wave MI, in whom sequential left ventricular angiograms of adequate quality were obtained before the initial procedure and at follow-up angiography. The global ejection fraction increased significantly from 60 +/- 9% to 67 +/- 6% (p = 0.0003). This significant increase in the global ejection fraction was primarily due to a significant improvement in the regional myocardial function of the infarct zone. The results of the present study show not only that ischemic attacks early after a non-Q wave MI may lead to prolonged regional myocardial dysfunction but more important that this depressed myocardium has the potential to achieve normal contraction after successful coronary angioplasty

Effects of successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty on global and regional left ventricular function in unstable angina pectoris

Sixty-eight patients (58 men, 10 women, mean age 56.3 years, range 31 to 72) with unstable angina pectoris, either initially stabilized with or refractory to optimal pharmacologic treatment, were studied to determine whether regional dysfunction due to stunning of the myocardium caused by attacks of chest pain at rest could be improved with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Patients were included in the study if they had successful 1-vessel PTCA, no angiographic restenosis, no reocclusion or late myocardial infarction and 2 serial left ventriculograms of sufficient quality to allow automated contour analysis before and after PTCA. Global ejection fraction increased significantly (from 56% to 60%, p less than 0.05) only after successful dilatation of a stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Analysis of regional wall displacement showed significant improvement of regional wall motion in the areas supplied by the dilated vessel of either the left anterior descending, the left circumflex or the right coronary artery. Thus, regional myocardial dysfunction due to stunning of the myocardium in patients with unstable angina improves after successful PTCA

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of a totally occluded venous bypass graft: a challenge that should be resisted

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Repeat interventions as a long-term treatment strategy in the management of progressive coronary artery disease.

Objectives. This study investigates whether repeat coronary interventions, applied over an extended time period, can successfully curtail the progression of ischemic symptoms and angiographic lumen narrowing. Background. Coronary artery disease is a chronic and generally progressive disorder, and potential treatment strategies should be examined and compared with this chronicity in mind. Percutaneous interventional revascularization procedures could theoretically be useful in controlling progression of the disease through repeated use as new coronary lesions arise. However, the outcome of this long-term management concept has not previously been subjected to detailed investigation. Methods. From a consecutive series of 4,357 interventional cardiac procedures, 544 patients were identified who received two or more interventions during the 13-year study period. These patients were categorized into one of three groups: restenosis (repeat interventions limited to the same target segment, N = 261), new stenosis (all repeat interventions directed to stenoses not previously treated, N

Short-, medium-, and long-term follow-up after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for stable and unstable angina pectoris

The first 840 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) performed in the same institution were retrospectively assessed at an average follow-up period of 25 months after the initial procedure. The study population consisted of 506 patients with stable angina pectoris (group 1) and 334 patients with unstable angina pectoris (group 2). Clinical end points were death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, recurrent angina pectoris necessitating bypass surgery or repeat PTCA, and event-free survival. The two groups were comparable with respect to age, sex, previous myocardial infarction, ejection fraction, and number of diseased vessels. PTCA was successful in 83.0% of group 1 and 87.1% of group 2. Follow-up rates were expressed as events per attempted PTCA in a patient group. No difference in survival was observed between the two groups, the mortality rate being approximately 2.8% at 25 months. In the group with stable angina pectoris there was a lower incidence of nonfatal myocardial infarction within the first 24 hours after angioplasty; 4.3% vs 9.0% (p less than 0.01). During long-term follow-up the increase in the incidence of nonfatal myocardial infarction was similar, resulting in an overall long-term follow-up infarction rate of 8.3% and 14.2%, respectively (p less than 0.01). A higher event-free survival was observed in group 1 within 24 hours after PTCA: 93.7% vs 84.2% (p less than 0.01). During subsequent follow-up the difference in event-free survival between the two groups was no longer significant: 68.5% vs 61.2%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for angina pectoris after a non-Q-wave acute myocardial infarction

Despite initially favorable prognosis in patients with non-Q-wave acute myocardial infarction (AMI), long-term mortality in this subset of patients appears to be similar to or even greater than that in patients with Q-wave AMI. The relatively poor late prognosis is primarily due to a high incidence of unstable angina and recurrent AMI. Between January 1982 and January 1987, 114 patients with suitable coronary narrowing underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) for angina pectoris (present either at rest or during mild exertion, and despite optimal pharmacologic therapy), a median of 31 (range 2 to 362) days after a non-Q-wave AMI. Success was achieved in dilating the obstructed artery in 98 patients (113 of the 129 dilated arteries). Emergency bypass surgery was performed in 7 patients. Mean clinical follow-up of 20 (range 3 to 59) months was obtained in all patients and revealed no deaths. Of the 98 patients with successful PTCAs, 6 (6%) developed a nonfatal recurrent AMI and 62 (63%) were asymptomatic. However, recurrent angina affected 31 patients (32%) and was treated by repeat PTCA (n = 18), coronary bypass surgery (n = 5) or pharmacologic therapy (n = 8). At follow-up, 74% of the patients (73 of 98) were asymptomatic after a successful PTCA and, if necessary, a repeat PTCA, without incidence of recurrent AMI, coronary bypass surgery or death. The high initial success rate, low incidence of subsequent death and late recurrent AMI and sustained symptomatic benefit suggest that PTCA is an effective initial treatment strategy in these selected patients