An analysis of initial results of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for totally occluded coronary arteries.

ABSTRACT

A retrospective analysis of 680 Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasties (PTCA) performed from April 1986 to October 1990 revealed that 81 patients had PTCA performed on 86 totally occluded coronary arteries (1.06 lesions/patient). Four of the 86 were acute occlusions. Angiographic success in the group as a whole was achieved in 57 (66%). Multivariate analysis identified only the target vessel as a statistically significant factor predictive of angiographic success from among a host of clinical and angiographic morphologic variables. Left anterior descending artery lesions were identified with the highest success. In addition the duration of occlusion was significantly lower for the successfully versus the unsuccessfully dilated chronic occlusions.