transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was developed 12 years ago, it was seen as a limited technique applicable to no more than 5% to 10% of the patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery. However. over the last 5 years improvements in angioplasty equipment and technique have allowed balloon angioplasty to expand to the point where more than 200,000 coronary angioplasties were performed in ...

AIMS Restenosis after percutaneous coronary angioplasty remains an important limitation of this procedure. This study evaluates whether elevated total plasma homocysteine levels contribute to the development of restenosis after coronary angioplasty. METHODS AND RESULTS Two hundred and five patients were recruited after successful angioplasty of at least one coronary stenosis (> or =50%). End-...

Where information about the appropriateness of a surgical procedure is lacking, expert panels have been used to establish guidelines for medical practitioners. Such a panel was convened to assess the appropriateness of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and coronary artery bypass graft surgery in the Netherlands. The panel, consisting of interventional cardiologists and cardiothorac...

Coronary artery ectasia is well-known but relatively uncommon finding with prevalence ranging from 1.2% to 5.3%. Coronary artery ectasia has been associated with atherosclerosis in approximately half of the cases. Here, we are presenting a case of male patient who experienced myocardial infarction and was diagnosed with coronary artery ectasia in proximal-mid junction of left anterior descendin...

Situs inversus with dextrocardia is a rare congenital anomaly. There are limited published case reports of successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in these patients who have atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, especially when presenting with acute myocardial infarction. PCI is technically difficult because of mirror image dextrocardia. We hereby describe a 48-yr-old female, who...

CONTEXT Intracoronary stents are now used for the majority of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary revascularization, and the body of scientific knowledge about stents has expanded rapidly in the last several years. OBJECTIVE To review the evidence supporting the widespread use of intracoronary stents. DATA SOURCES The MEDLINE database was searched for articles from 1990 through Januar...

Regional coronary blood flow and myocardial metabolism were evaluated in a patient who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Angioplasty increased coronary luminal diameter and reduced trans-stenotic gradient. Before PTCA, angina pectoris developed during sustained rapid atrial pacing and was associated with abnormal lactate metabolism and a mild increase in coronary ...