[Coronary angiography, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and coronary surgery, valvular interventions and anti-arrhythmia agents and fibrinolysis for acute myocardial infarction in Switzerland].

Besides the description of the activities of the Working Group PTCA and Fibrinolysis of the Swiss Society of Cardiology, number and distribution of coronary angiograms and angioplasties (PTCA) and aortocoronary bypass operations performed in 13 Swiss centers during 1989 are presented and commented. It is of note that the number of PTCA procedures has increased further during the last year, whereas the number of bypass operations stayed fairly constant over the last three years. PTCA is done today almost as frequently as coronary artery bypass surgery in Switzerland. There are, however, marked differences between individual centers: the number of PTCA procedures in relation to coronary angiograms varies between 5% and over 40%. A large part of these interventions is performed at private hospitals. More than 85% of the PTCA procedures were single vessel procedures. Catheter interventions on heart valves and on the conductive system were done almost exclusively at University Hospitals. The 1989 survey of the treatment of acute myocardial infarction with fibrinolysis covers only hospitals with catheterization laboratories and is therefore not entirely representative for the total activity in Switzerland. Almost 20% (0-80%) of all patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction received fibrinolysis with important differences between individual centers.