Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty in Octogenarians

Revascularization is a theoretically ideal technique for treating repeated angina pectoris in elderly patients. Coronary angioplasty is an attractive option if it can be performed safely. In this report, we describe our experience with 80 angioplastic procedures in 72 patients older than 80 years. Seventy-two of these procedures (90%) were performed after 1990 using the currently available, improved angioplasty equipment. A third of these patients did not have any risk factors for coronary artery disease and 45% had only 1 risk factor. A history of previous myocardial infarction or coronary bypass surgery was present in 48 (67%) patients. In most patients (72%), angioplasty was performed during an admission for unstable angina or acute myocardial infarction. Single-vessel disease was present in 22% of patients. Successful angioplasty was performed in 92% of patients and major complications occurred in 8% of patients. Four patients (6%) died; in all of them, angioplasty was performed emergently to treat cardiogenic shock. None of 68 patients who underwent elective angioplasty for stable angina or a semielective procedure for unstable angina died during the hospitalization. We conclude that angioplasty can be performed safely in the carefully selected octogenarian. There is a low-risk subgroup of patients with limited disease in whom angioplasty is an attractive treatment strategy.