[Emergency percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction]

Coronary angioplasty combined with thrombolytic therapy using urokinase (UK-PTCA) was attempted for acute myocardial infarction from September 1983 to December 1985, and without thrombolytic therapy (direct PTCA), thereafter. For UK-PTCA, the lesion was severely stenosed in 13, subtotally occluded in two and totally occluded in 21, and 29 lesions (81%) were successfully dilated. For direct PTCA, the lesion was stenosed in five, subtotally occluded in two and totally occluded in 14, and 19 lesions (90%) were dilated. Only one lesion in UK-PTCA had restenosis during hospitalization, but it was successfully redilated. Follow-up angiography was performed for 26 among 29 UK-PTCA cases and showed patency (diameter stenosis less than 50%) in 13, restenosis (less than 50%) in 12 and occlusion in one. Ten among 12 restenosed lesions were redilated and they were all patent at subsequent angiography. In 15 of 19 dilated lesions with direct PTCA, the lesion was patent in 10, and restenosed in five. Four of them were redilated and remained patent at subsequent angiography. Major complications occurred only in the UK-PTCA group before the judicious use of intra-aortic balloon pumping for hemodynamic instability. These included two deaths due to cardiogenic shock, one coronary dissection, and one sudden reocclusion, possibly due to thrombus formation. PTCA is applicable with or without thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction with high primary success rate and maintain coronary flow thereafter.