Percutaneous coronary intervention in octogenarians with refractory angina.

METHODS All patients over 80 years of age undergoing PCI between January 1996 and December 1999 were identified from the catheterisation laboratory computer database. Baseline clinical characteristics, indications for coronary intervention, and procedural outcomes were obtained by retrospective review of hospital records. All patients received a heparin bolus (5000–10 000 IU), administration of abciximab was at the operators’ discretion, and postprocedural heparin was not used routinely. Routine antiplatelet treatment included long term aspirin, and ticlopidine or clopidogrel for four weeks, usually with preloading. Lesions were classified according to the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association grading system. Immediate angiographic success was defined as deployment of the stent at the site of the lesion with a residual stenosis < 30%. Clinical success was defined as angiographic success plus the absence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) while in hospital for the index PCI—that is, myocardial infarction, the need for repeat revascularisation, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), or death. Follow up data were obtained by questionnaires sent both to the patient and their general practitioner. Information obtained at follow up included Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) angina class and rates of target lesion revascularisation, subacute stent thrombosis, and MACE. All patients with recurrent symptoms underwent objective assessment with stress testing and/or repeat coronary angiography. Data were expressed as means or proportions.