Clinical outcome of coronary angioplasty for single-vessel disease

The acute and long-term results of coronary angioplasty in 412 patients with single-vessel coronary artery disease are reported. Angiographic success was observed in 85.5% of all lesions and 84.7% of all arteries in which dilatation was attempted. Success rates improved during the study; since 1985, the angiographic success rate for non-occluded arteries has been 91.0%. Early complications occurred in 6.8%; angioplasty achieved clinical success in 80.3% of all patients at discharge from hospital. The median duration of follow-up was 772 days, with clinical status established for 98.8% of patients. 5 years after clinically successful angioplasty, cumulative cardiac survival was 96.6% and freedom from cardiac death and myocardial infarction was 90.4% (95.8% and 85.4%, respectively, on intention-to-treat analysis). Within 5 years of successful angioplasty, 12.4% of survivors underwent coronary bypass surgery and 16.9% had repeat angioplasty. Freedom from all cardiac events at 5 years was 70.2% after clinically successful angioplasty and 60.2% on intention-to-treat analysis. Angina symptoms were improved in over 80% of patients and abolished in 75%.