Clinical experience of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty--technique and results

PTCA (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) was performed on 109 patients from April 1981 through March 1984, and successful dilatation was achieved in 82 patients (75.2%). The patients were followed for an average period of 15.6 +/- 10.6 months (range, 0.5-36 months). Twenty-one patients (24%) relapsed, and repeat PTCA resulted in successful dilatation in 13 of 24 patients. The present communication discusses important technical points of PTCA, results of follow-up, and findings in cases of recurrence. The prognosis was good in patients with an uneventful course during six months or more of follow-up. When the successful patients were divided into two groups of relapse and non-relapse, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding sex, age, history of angina pectoris, number of vessels involved, and which coronary artery was involved. It remains for further studies to find the cause of recurrent stenosis and establish an appropriate therapy to prevent it.