Balloon valvoplasty in calcific aortic stenosis: a therapeutic alternative.

Percutaneous balloon valvoplasty was used to treat calcific aortic stenosis in 3 women aged 73, 67 and 61 years, respectively. We approached through the left brachial artery in the first case and the right femoral artery in the other two. An 18 mm balloon was used in all cases, the systolic gradient being reduced from 50, 180 and 48 to 7, 50 and 35 mm Hg, respectively. A mild and transitory systemic embolization was observed in one case. Aortic regurgitation was not present in two patients either before or after valvoplasty. In the other case, a grade 1/6 murmur indicative of regurgitation prior to the procedure increased to a grade 2/6 afterwards. A small and localized aortic dissection was present in one case but disappeared in the control angiography performed 11 days later.

[Palmaz-Schatz coronary stent implantation in the protected left main coronary artery. Restenosis and repeat angioplasty using intravascular ultrasound as optimal deployment's factor]. / Implante de stent Palmaz-Schatz em tronco de coronária esquerda protegido. Reestenose e redilatação utilizando o ultra-som intracoronário como fator de otimização.

White woman 46 years old was admitted with oppressive rest angina. Two months prior, she had been submitted to a coronary artery bypass surgery: saphenous vein graft to the left anterior descending coronary; left internal mammary artery to the 1st diagonal branch and a radial artery as a free artery graft, to the biggest branch of the left circumflex artery. On coronary angiography, both the saphenous vein and the radial artery were occluded, with patency of the left internal mammary artery. The patient underwent coronary angioplasty with a Palmaz-Schatz stent 3.0/15 mm implantation in the left main coronary artery and was submitted to a high-pressure balloon inflation. She was discharged free of angina from the hospital and one month later retrosternal chest pain recurred. On coronary angiography a restenosis in the left main coronary was seen. Repeat coronary angioplasty with high-pressure balloon inflation technique and with intravascular ultrasound guidance was done. Larger balloons and progressive higher-pressure balloon inflations were used until reaching a stent internal lumen greater than the reference distal diameter. The patient was asymptomatic at four months of follow-up.

[Excimer laser in the treatment of obstructive coronary disease. Initial experience]. / Excimer laser no tratamento da doença coronária obstrutiva. Experiência inicial.

The aim of this study is to evaluate a group of four male patients aged between 47 and 77 years (mean 52 +/- 4.5) with coronary artery disease who underwent excimer laser with classical indication for this method. The vessels considered were the left anterior descending artery in three patients and the right coronary artery in one. Conventional percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was applied in all patients after the laser procedure. Reduction to 50% or less of the internal diameter was considered a satisfactory result. Early success (laser plus PTCA) was obtained in 100%. There were a decreasing in number of obstruction from 75-100% (mean of 80 +/- 8.5%) to 0-50% (mean of 20 +/- 6%) after the procedure (laser plus PTCA). During hospitalization no complication have been found. In conclusion, we certified that excimer laser has been applied in special situation (complex lesions) with high rate of success than conventional angioplasty but these results will require further studies.

[The dilatation of the residual stenosis due to a Blalock-Taussig anastomosis by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty]. / Dilatação de estenose residual da anastomose Blalock-Taussig modificada pela angioplastia transluminal percutânea.

A ten-months-old white infant had undergone surgical modified Blalock-Taussig anastomosis at 2 months of age. An interposition of bovine mammary artery was anastomosed with the right subclavian artery. A satisfactory clinical follow-up after surgery was achieved, until the last three months when cyanotic spells were observed. A new angiographic study showed tricuspid and pulmonary atresia and severe stenosis (+/- 80%) at the anastomosis between the subclavian artery and the bovine mammary tissue. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was successfully performed. An immediate improvement of cyanosis and oxygen saturation were observed.

[Anatomical limitations for the performance of angioplasty in coronary multivessel disease]. / Limites anatômicos para a realização de angioplastia na doença coronária multiarterial.

PURPOSE: To study anatomical limitation of coronary angioplasty, as alternative therapy in patients with multivessel disease and submitted to bypass surgery. METHODS: In 380 patients with multivessel disease and submitted to previous coronary bypass surgery, age ranged from 41 to 72 (average = 51) years, being 68% males. The following parameters were analyzed in the coronary arteriographies: anatomic aspects of the coronary arteries and distribution of the atherosclerotic stenosis. The patients were arranged in accordance to the criteria: complete revascularization, incomplete and no indication for coronary angioplasty. RESULTS: The patients were arranged in 3 different groups: I-80 (21%) patients included those in whom complete revascularization would be possible; II--55 (14.5%) patients in whom only incomplete revascularization but satisfactory would be possible and III--245 (65.5%) those patients in whom coronary angioplasty would no have indication. The data referind the patients of groups I and II were analyzed together--135 (35.5%) and arranged according to the number of arteries involved. It was observed: two vessel disease--71.8%, three vessel--18.6% and 4 or more vessel--9.6%. In group III it was observed 51.0% of the patients with 3 or more vessel disease. The major factors to contra indicate coronary angioplasty in group III included: chronic coronary obstruction 99 (40.4%); diffuse disease 11 (4.5%); technical difficulties 10 (4.1%); left main coronary artery obstruction 5 (2%) or when two or more causes were combined 120 (49%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with multivessel disease and classic indication for coronary bypass surgery, have a basic limitation for angioplasty due to several anatomic factors. However, coronary angioplasty could be beneficial for a selected group of patients (35.5%) whenever a complete or incomplete revascularization could be obtained.

[Coronary angioplasty in young patients]. / Angioplastia coronária em pacientes jovens.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of coronary angioplasty in patients at the age of 40 years old or under. METHODS: From July 1987 to July 1990, 878 coronary angioplasty procedures were performed. Sixty six patients (7.5%) were 40 years old or under. The coronary obstruction was considered significant when 70% or more of the arterial diameter was involved and the post angioplasty results were considered satisfactory when residual obstruction was less than the 50%. RESULTS: Fifty four patients (81.8%) were male with an average age of 37 years (ranging from 29 to 40). Forty four patients (67%) had stable angina, 18 (27%) unstable angina, 3 (4%) acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and one (1.5%) AMI after streptokinase treatment. Eight of these patients had previous report of AMI and 3 (4.5%) had undergone coronary bypass grafting surgery. Fifty five patients (83%) had single vessel disease and 11 (17%) had multivessel disease. Eighty coronary arteries had balloon dilatation. In 32 patients (58%) with single vessel artery, 12 (22%) in the RCA, 10 (18%) in the left circumflex and one (2%) into a saphenous vein bypass grafting. In 12 patients (48%) with multivessel disease it was performed in the LAD coronary artery, 8 (32%) in the RCA and 5 (20%) in the left circumflex. Angioplasty was successfully performed in 53 (96%) patients with single vessel disease and in 10 (01%) with multivessel disease. One of the patients died immediately after the procedure. A follow up of 11.6 months (ranged from 1 to 27 months) was possible in 63 patients. Re-stenosis was depicted in 10 (19%) of the 55 patients with single vessel disease and in 3 of the 11 patients (30%) with multivessel disease. Nine patients had a successful redilatation in the first group and 2 in the second one. The two remaining patients had undergone coronary bypass surgery. The clinical evaluation among patients who had been dilated as the first procedure and those who had redilatation (61 patients) showed: 92% were asymptomatic and 8% had mild angina. CONCLUSION: Coronary angioplasty performed in young patients is an effective procedure with very low rate of early complications and favorable clinical follow-up.

[Angioplasty in native coronary circulation in patients treated with myocardial revascularization]. / Angioplastia na circulação coronária nativa em pacientes submetidos a cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical results after angioplasty in the native coronary vessels in patients who had undergone previous coronary artery surgery. METHODS: From June 1987 to July 1990, 69 patients with previous coronary artery surgery underwent coronary angioplasty in the native arteries. Age ranged from 31 to 82 (mean = 57.5) years, fifty eight were males. Angina was present in all patients. The patients were classified in three groups according to the following criteria: group I--incomplete revascularization following bypass surgery (28 patients); group II--progression of the disease in ungrafted vessels (24 patients) and group III--progression of the disease in grafted vessels (17 patients). RESULTS: Primary success was achieved in 94% (65/69). Ninety-five percent in group I, 92% in group II and 94% in group III. Complications occurred in 4%; emergency surgery or deaths were not observed in this study. Forty patients (61%) repeated coronary arteriography an average follow-up of 4 months and restenosis was detected in 10 (25%); 8 of them were redilated. Survival rates was 95% and 75% of them were free of coronary events after an average follow-up of 13 months. CONCLUSION: Coronary angioplasty in these patients is a safe and effective interventional procedure in the treatment of coronary artery disease in native coronary vessels.

[Directional atherectomy and coronary angioplasty: a therapy complementary to myocardial revascularization surgery]. / Aterectomia direcional e angioplastia coronária. Terapêutica complementar à cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica.

A white male patient, 59 years old, with two prior surgical myocardial revascularization and unstable angina, was submitted to coronary arteriography that showed: all the saphenous vein grafts patent and obstruction of 75% in the saphenous vein graft to the second marginal branch of left circumflex artery. Left internal mammary artery (LIMA) was angiographically normal and 80% stenosis was detected in the distal segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). The patient was submitted to directional coronary atherectomy for saphenous vein graft and coronary angioplasty for distal-LAD. Both procedures were successfully performed.

[Directional coronary atherectomy. The initial experience]. / Aterectomia coronária direcional. Experiência inicial.

Four male patients, 38 to 59 years old (mean 49 +/- 2.5), with angina and the angiographic features has been the classical indications for the method, underwent directional coronary atherectomy. Vessels treated were, respectively, left anterior descending artery (LAD), right coronary artery (RCA), saphenous vein graft (SVG) to LAD and SVG to left marginal branch. Reductions to 50% or less of the internal diameter was considered a satisfactory result. Early success was obtained in all four patients. Obstructions of 75 to 95% (mean of 83 +/- 7.5%) were reduced to 0-25% (mean 12 +/- 5%) after atherectomy. Only one patient died suddenly five days after de procedure. So, directional coronary atherectomy may represent a reliable and safe method for special situations.

[Coronary angioplasty in octogenarians]. / Angioplastia coronária em octogenários.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the indications, results and follow-up of patients with 80 years old and over, who had undergone percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). METHODS: From July 1987 through July 1990, 36 patients, 80 years of age and over, had PTCA as an alternative method to treat coronary artery disease. Their age ranged from 80 to 85 (mean = 83) years. Twenty five were male. Significative obstruction was considered when 70% or more of the internal diameter was stenosed. Satisfactory results were achieved when reduction of 50% or more of the coronary artery obstruction was obtained. RESULTS: In 34 of 36 patients (94.4%), PTCA was successfully performed. Forty four of 46 coronary arteries were successfully dilated. One patient had acute coronary occlusion with acute myocardial infarction treated clinically. There were no emergency surgeries or early deaths. Clinical follow-up was obtained in 15 of the 34 patients. Four had repeated coronary arteriography (at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after primary PTCA) due to angina. Two of them had restenosis and were successfully redilated (the patients restudied at 3 and 6 months, respectively). Within a mean clinical follow-up period of 9.6 (ranging from 1 from 21) months the following features were observed: two of 15 patients (13.3%) had acute myocardial infarction and were clinically followed; late death occurred in 3 patients (20%) with only one related to cardiac events. Survival has been observed in 12 of these 15 patients (80%). CONCLUSION: PTCA represents an alternative, safe and effective invasive procedure to treat octogenarians with coronary artery disease.