Exercise stress testing before and after successful multivessel percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

Controversy exists regarding the diagnostic accuracy, optimal technique, and timing of exercise testing after percutaneous coronary intervention. The objectives of the present study were to analyze variables and the power of exercise testing to predict restenosis or a new lesion, 6 months after the procedure. Eight-four coronary multi-artery diseased patients with preserved ventricular function were studied (66 males, mean age of all patients: 59 ± 10 years). All underwent coronary angiography and exercise testing with the Bruce protocol, before and 6 months after percutaneous coronary intervention. The following parameters were measured: heart rate, blood pressure, rate-pressure product (heart rate x systolic blood pressure), presence of angina, maximal ST-segment depression, and exercise duration. On average, 2.33 lesions/patient were treated and restenosis or progression of disease occurred in 46 (55 percent) patients. Significant increases in systolic blood pressure (P = 0.022), rate-pressure product (P = 0.045) and exercise duration (P = 0.003) were detected after the procedure. Twenty-seven (32 percent) patients presented angina during the exercise test before the procedure and 16 (19 percent) after the procedure. The exercise test for the detection of restenosis or new lesion presented 61 percent sensitivity, 63 percent specificity, 62 percent accuracy, and 67 and 57 percent positive and negative predictive values, respectively. In patients without restenosis, the exercise duration after percutaneous coronary intervention was significantly longer (460 ± 154 vs 381 ± 145 s, P = 0.008). Only the exercise duration permitted us to identify patients with and without restenosis or a new lesion.

Artéria mamaria interna direita em posição retroaórtica para revascularização direta do miocárdio / Right internal mammary artery at retroaortic position for direct myocardial revascularization

Foram submetidos a revascularizacao direta dada arteria circunflexa e seus ramos atraves da anastomose da arteria mamaria interna direita (MID) em posicao retroaortica 26 pacientes, entre julho e novembro de 1983. As idades variaram de 37 a 67 anos (media 53 anos), 92% eram sexo masculino. A revascularizacao foi complementada com a arteria mamaria interna esquerda (MIE) para o ramo descendente anterior ou diagonal e com veia safena (VS) para os outros ramos coronarios. Foram realizados 3,1 pontes/paciente. O estudo cinecoronariografico pos-operatorio, realizado em 8 pacientes, mostrou 100% de perviabilidade das MID e MIE e 91% das VS. A MID fica bem posicionada, suficientemente longa e sem tensao, proporcionando enchimento distal normal ao ramo coronario revascularizado.A revascularizacao direta do ventriculo esquerdo com ambas arterias mamarias talvez possa influenciar favoravelmente os resultados tardios