OBJECTIVES Retrospective analysis of five cases of coronary vein balloon angioplasty performed to allow insertion of left ventricular pacing leads. BACKGROUND Coronary vein stenoses or an insufficient vessel caliber can preclude transvenous placement of coronary vein leads. METHODS We compared our total patient population (n = 218), in whom we implanted coronary vein leads, to those five pa...

Background. Platelet deposition at the site of injury caused by balloon angioplasty is associated with acute closure and restenosis. Methods and Results. In a new ex vivo whole artery angioplasty model, we examined the roles of thrombin inhibition with D-Phe-Pro-ArgCH2C1 (PPACK) and inhibition of the platelet membrane fibrinogen receptor glycoprotein lIb/Illa (GPIIb/IIIa) with monoclonal antibo...

We performed Cutting Balloon angioplasty on 20 lesions in 11 heart transplant recipients 7.5 +/- 3.8 years after transplantation. The mean percentage of diameter stenosis decreased from 88.3% +/- 13.8% to 19.6% +/- 13.7% after Cutting Balloon angioplasty without complication. Seven patients underwent follow-up angiography at 4.9 +/- 1.7 months in a total of 12 lesions, and all lesions showed re...

Saphenous vein graft (SVG) anastomotic lesions can have significant fibromuscular hyperplasia and may be resistant to balloon angioplasty alone. Stents have been used successfully to treat these lesions. There are no reports of immediate stent recoil following such treatment in the literature. We describe immediate and persistent stent recoil in an anastomotic SVG lesion even after initial and ...

Background Conventional balloon angioplasty of intracoronary thrombus is associated with a high incidence of abrupt closure, distal embolization, and no-reflow phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to assess a new technique for treating intracoronary thrombus consisting of the local delivery of urokinase directly to the angioplasty site with urokinasecoated hydrogel balloons. Methods and Re...

Background Conventional balloon angioplasty of intracoronary thrombus is associated with a high incidence of abrupt closure, distal embolization, and no-reflow phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to assess a new technique for treating intracoronary thrombus consisting of the local delivery of urokinase directly to the angioplasty site with urokinasecoated hydrogel balloons. Methods and Re...

ercutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was introduced into clinical practice more than 20 years ago. 1 The breathtaking growth of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) during the 1990s in Europe (fig 1) reflects their widespread acceptance for coronary revascularisation, challenging coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This review provides an overview of current coronary in...

BACKGROUND Excimer laser coronary angioplasty is a new, investigational technique for treating coronary artery stenoses. Initial reports have demonstrated acute efficacy and relative safety of this procedure, but have not addressed the effect of lesion type on acute success and complication rates. METHODS AND RESULTS In the first 100 patients undergoing percutaneous excimer laser coronary ang...

Background. Excimer laser coronary angioplasty is a new, investigational technique for treating coronary artery stenoses. Initial reports have demonstrated acute efficacy and relative safety of this procedure, but have not addressed the effect of lesion type on acute success and complication rates. Methods and Results. In the first 100 patients undergoing percutaneous excimer laser coronary ang...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the immediate results and the 6-month angiographic recurrent restenosis rate after balloon angioplasty for in-stent restenosis. BACKGROUND Despite excellent immediate and mid-term results, 20% to 30% of patients with coronary stent implantation will present an angiographic restenosis and may require additional treatment. The opt...