[Current state of interventional measures in cardiology]

Interventional cardiology comprises all therapeutic heart procedures which are percutaneously performed via catheterization. Selected patients with severe mitral or aortic stenoses may be efficiently treated by percutaneous transluminal balloon valvuloplasty (PTBV). Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) as a treatment of coronary artery disease has now been applied for more than 10 years, and the main problem appears to be the development of restenosis after 3 to 4 months. The efficacy of newer interventional techniques (the percutaneous transluminal laser ablation [PTCLA], the endatherectomy, rotational catheters, or the application of stents) is studied at present all over the world. The question is whether these procedures may reduce restenosis and increase success rate in patients at risk.