Digital subtraction arteriography (DSA) in re-evaluation of angioplasties

Digital subtraction arteriography (DSA) permits accurate, objective, and relatively pain-free evaluation of the morphology of angioplasty sites. During 1982, we performed DSA on 74 patients who had had 96 angioplasties over the previous three and one-half years. All of the DSA examinations were of diagnostic quality. We were surprised to find that 15% of angioplasty sites had undergone restenosis and, in addition, 12% of patients had new lesions. Because most of those patients were asymptomatic, such lesions would not have been detected by clinical assessment alone. Our angioplasty results compare favorably with other reported series. It is expected that DSA will play an increasingly important role in re-evaluation following treatment by angioplasty or surgery.