[Transluminal coronary angioplasty. Technic and immediate results].

Controlled crushing of the intimal plaque and of the underlying vessel wall are the determinants of transluminal dilatation of coronary stenoses. The technique of angioplasty has been recently modified in many laboratories, by the use of new catheters and dilatation policies. Data from the NHLBl Registry indicate a 59% primary success rate, being 29% and 12% respectively the failures due either to inability to cross or to dilate the stenosis. A retrospective analysis of successful procedures has highlighted factors that positively affect the results: recent onset of the angina, lack of calcifications, iterative ballooning at high pressures and the experience of the angiographer. Main complications were angina becoming unstable (5.7%) and acute coronary occlusion (4.4%); an emergency bypass operation had to be done in 6.3% of the cases, whereas myocardial infarctions scored 4.4% and hospital deaths less than 1%. Preliminary results of Centro De Gasperis concern 18 attempts to dilate LAD stenoses: primary success rate was 44% with a failure rate of 39% and 17% regarding inability to cross or only to dilate stenosis, respectively. The above results are less favorable than those reported in NHLBl Registry and very much less than those reported by selected laboratories; they are however acceptable in view of the suboptimal characteristics of the materials used and the limited experience of the team.