Repeat coronary angioplasty during the same angiographic diagnosis of coronary restenosis.

To determine whether any differences exist in results of treatment of restenosis with repeat angioplasty when the procedure is performed during diagnosis or, as an alternative, when it is performed as a separate elective procedure, we prospectively compared the outcome of 48 consecutive procedures (including 51 lesions) at the time of initial cardiac catheterization (group 1) with the outcome of 26 consecutive elective procedures (including 30 lesions) (group 2). Before control angiography was performed, the anatomic and procedural characteristics of the previous dilatation and the new symptomatic status were carefully reevaluated in all patients. Baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics including age, sex, ejection fraction, and number of diseased vessels in which repair was attempted were similar in both groups. Reasons for angioplasty were also similar with unstable angina being the most frequent indication: 29 (60%) in group 1 versus 13 (50%) in group 2. (p = NS). Morphology of the lesions was also similar, although longer lesions (greater than 12 mm) were dilated in group 2 (13 (43%) vs 10 (20%) in group 1; p less than 0.05). Angiographic success was achieved in 51 lesions (100%) in group 1 versus 28 (93%) in group 2 (p = NS). Primary angioplasty success (in the absence of major complications) was achieved in 46 (95%) procedures in group 1 versus 24 (92%) in group 2 (p = NS). Two patients in group 1 had a myocardial infarction, but there were no other major complications in either group. Preliminary data suggest that the outcome of repeat coronary angioplasty for restenosis is similar whether it is performed at the time of diagnostic catheterization or later on as an independent elective procedure.