Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty: an update

Rapid and progressive improvement in techniques and decreased morbidity and mortality rates have taken place since the introduction in 1977 of PTCA for the treatment of coronary artery disease. PTCA is now performed worldwide. Originally used for proximal single-vessel disease, which is still the ideal lesion, criteria for PTCA have expanded to include multiple stenotic lesions in one or more vessels, distally located obstructive lesions, patients with prior coronary artery bypass surgery, and patients with acute myocardial infarction where PTCA is performed in combination with streptokinase lysis of an obstructive thrombus.