CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY IN SINGLE-VESSEL COMPLEX LESIONS - SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM OUTCOME AND FACTORS PREDICTING ACUTE CORONARY-OCCLUSION

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of complex coronary lesions (plaque ulceration and/or thrombus) has an increased risk of procedural complications. To assess the influence of these angiographic feautures on immediate and long-term results of PTCA, we prospectively compared the success rate, incidence of procedural complications, and restenosis rate in two groups of patients selected on the basis of the presence (study group = 30 patients) or absence (control group = 200 patients) of complex morphology at the time of angioplasty. The two groups were similar with regard to extent of coronary artery disease and site of coronary stenosis. Patients in the study group had a higher incidence of periprocedural acute coronary occlusion (47% vs 6%; p < 0.01), which in 78% of the cases was successfully treated with repeat angioplasty and intracoronary thrombolysis. Univariate correlates of this complication were Canadian Cardiovascular Society class IV (57% vs 19%; p < 0.05) and recent (< 30 days) onset or worsening of symptoms (71% vs 31%; p < 0.05). The incidence of acute myocardial infarction was slightly higher in the study group (6.7% vs 2%; p = NS), and the success rate with redilatation was the same (90%). Clinical and angiographic follow-up data were obtained from all patients in whom the procedure was successful; the restenosis rate was 55% in the study group compared with 36% in the control group (p < 0.05). Thus in spite of the high degree of success with redilatation, PTCA of complex lesions is associated with a higher incidence of acute occlusion than noncomplicated lesions; moreover, long-term outcome appears to be less favorable because of the higher rate of restenosis.