Sustained efficacy of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

To determine whether the immediate efficacy of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is sustained, follow-up data were obtained in 183 patients who had undergone PTCA at least 1 year earlier. The duration of follow-up ranged from 1 to 5 years. Subjective clinical information was obtained in each patient and objective functional information, determined by exercise stress testing, was obtained in 91. PTCA was initially successful in 141 patients (79%). Of the 42 patients in whom PTCA was unsuccessful, 26 underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), while 16 were maintained on medical therapy (MED). When compared to the MED patients at time of follow-up, successful PTCA patients experienced less angina (13% vs 47%; p = 0.003), used less nitroglycerin (25% vs 73%, p = 0.003), were hospitalized less often for chest pain (8% vs 31%; p = 0.02), and subjectively felt their condition had improved (96% vs 20%; p less than 0.001). Furthermore, during exercise testing, the prevalence of angina was reduced (9% vs 43%; p = 0.05), and exercise duration was greater (8.2 minutes vs 5.8 minutes, p = 0.05) among PTCA patients. There were no significant differences in the incidence of subsequent myocardial infarction, mortality, or need for coronary artery bypass surgery. For these variables, no differences were seen between the CABG and PTCA groups. Thus, successful PTCA results in long-term relief of subjective and objective manifestations of myocardial ischemia, superior to that of medical therapy and comparable to CABG.