ABSTRACT
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was performed on 58 lesions in 53 patients 80 years of age or older with unstable angina. Most patients had previous myocardial infarction, abnormal left ventricular contraction patterns, and multivessel coronary disease. In most (48) patients only one vessel was dilated. PTCA was successful in 48 (82.8%) lesions, but complications were frequent. Eight patients died, six after anatomically successful PTCA (three with cardiac complications, two with noncardiac complications, and one with both cardiac and noncardiac complications). Two patients died after unsuccessful PTCA (one of cardiac complications and one of noncardiac complications), and 11 patients with PTCA were alive with significant complications (all noncardiac). Twenty-nine patients had successful PTCA with no complications; 40 (74.5%) patients were discharged with clinically successful PTCA. It is concluded that PTCA is feasible in patients 80 years of age or older but that both cardiac and noncardiac complications are common in this group of very fragile patients.
