[Long-term clinical development following coronary angioplasty]

100 patients who had undergone successful coronary angioplasty were followed up for 12, 42 and 84 months. The mean age of the population was 53 +/- 10 years and 89 were males. 86 patients had single vessel coronary artery disease and 14 multi-vessel disease. 9 patients had had previous by-pass surgery. Coronary angioplasty was done on 54 left anterior descending, 28 right and 9 left circumflex coronary arteries, and 9 by-pass grafts. Follow-up comprised clinical examination, stress test and personal evaluation by the patients. There was a clear-cut improvement in 66% of patients after 1 year, in 84% at 3 1/2 years and 26% at 8 years, excluding 6 deaths and 9 patients undergoing by-pass surgery. Improvement was moderate in 24% of patients at 1 year, 16% at 3 1/2 years and 58% at 8 years. Stress test was negative in 50% of patients at 1 year, in 64% at 2 years and in 70% at 3 1/2 years. At the latest follow-up (8 years) 6 patients had died, 5 had undergone by-pass surgery and 26 had undergone a further coronary angioplasty; 26% of these 84 patients were symptom free, 58% in class I, 9% in class II, 5% in class III and 2% in class IV (New York Heart Association classification). In conclusion there was a clearcut longterm improvement after coronary angioplasty, thus making this technique the first choice treatment in coronary artery disease in patients with suitable coronary lesions.