[Long-term results of elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. A clinico-angiography study of 289 consecutive patients].

289 consecutive patients (255 male, 34 female, 50 +/- 6 years) had an elective single-vessel-PTCA between October 1978 and March 1983. A clinical long-term follow-up was obtained after 4.7 (3-10) years. The PTCA success-rate was 73% with a non steerable balloon catheter being used in 95% of the cases. For 271/289 patients with follow-up (94%), the 56-month-survival rate was 96%, the incidence of non-fatal myocardial infarctions 11%, and the need for a second intervention (PTCA and/or bypass surgery) was 39%. The most favorable long-term outcome was observed in patients without need of a second intervention (97% survival, 7% non-fatal myocardial infarction, 83% without cardiac complaints during everyday life), and in patients with elective bypass surgery after an unsuccessful PTCA (100% survival, 5% myocardial infarction). 32/138 (23%) of patients without a second intervention during follow-up underwent an angiographic control after an average of 4.7 years. In comparison with the first follow-up angiogram 6 months after PTCA, the mean residual stenosis at the PTCA-site showed a slight decrease. It is concluded that PTCA offers good clinical and angio-graphic long-term results in single-vessel disease, with an excellent prognosis of patients without need for a second intervention.