Coronary Angioplasty in Patients with Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease

ABSTRACT

To assess the likelihood of procedural success in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease, 46 consecutive patients (male 34, female 12, mean age 60+/-9 years) umderwent single or multiple site angioplasty. The clinical diagnosis of unstable angina was in 20(44%), stable angina in 10 and acute or old myocardial infarction in 16. Coronary angiographic findings of 2 vessel disease was in 38(83%), triple vessel disease in 8. Left ventricular function was generally well preserved (mean ejection fraction 65+/-12%, range 30-82%) and mean 2.0 stenosis per patient angic, lasty had attempted. Single vessel angioplasty (SVA) was performed in 13 and multivessel angioplasty (MVA) in 33. Procedural success was achieved in 79(86%) out of total 92 stenoses. Sixty-six(88%) out of 75 stenoses in MVA and 13(76%) out of 17 stenoses in SVA had procedural success respectively. According to angiographic morphology of lesions, procedural success of type A stenoses was 17/17(100%), type B stenoses 57/66(86%) and type C stenoses was 5/9(33%). In 13 failures included inability to pass the guide wire cross the lesion in 7, inability to guide the griding catheter in 2 and inability to dilate lesions in 4. Before and after angioplasty, treadmill test (modified Bruce protocol)could be performed in 29 patients. Total duration of exercise and maximal double product improved significantly from 8.5+/-2.3 minute 5188+/-2403 to 12.2+1.3 min., 23,062+/-4111 respectively (p<0.001). 17 out of 24 patients who had positive treadmill test before angioplasty showed negative conversion after procedure. Complications included dissection in 29, prolongd chest pain in 5, acute closure in 3, cardiac tamponade in 1 and ventricular fibrillation due to side branch oclusion in 1. Thus, coronary angioplasty in selected paients with multivessel coronary artery disease might be useful and have relatively good immediate results, but the long-term efficacies with other forms of treatment must be evaluated prospectively.