COMPARATIVE LONG-TERM RESULTS OF CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY IN SINGLE AND MULTIVESSEL DISEASE

The comparative long-term clinical results of coronary angioplasty in 448 patients with single-vessel and 451 patients with multivessel disease are reported. Clinical status was determined at census for 898 patients (99.9%). Actuarial survival at 5 years was 92.7% for single-vessel and 85.6% for multivessel disease patients (relative risk 2.1). Patients with multivessel disease had higher rates of cardiac death and non-fatal myocardial infarction (relative risk 1.8), and coronary artery bypass surgery (relative risk 2.5) than patients with single-vessel disease. At follow-up 72.6% of single-vessel and 61.3% of multivessel disease patients had no angina and 43.3% and 35.8%, respectively, were taking no regular anti-anginal medication. Treatment by coronary angioplasty is associated with a good long-term prognosis, but survival and event-free survival rates are lower in patients with multivessel disease than in patients with single-vessel disease, even after correction for differences in other baseline characteristics. © 1992 The European Society of Cardiology.