Repeat coronary angioplasty.

The potential of repeat percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty as a mode of therapy for recurrence of stenosis after initially successful angioplasty was examined on the basis of data on all 514 patients with successful angioplasty at Emory University before April 1982. Recurrence was found in 171 (33%) of the 514 patients. Repeat angioplasty was attempted in 95 patients with a significantly higher primary success rate (97 versus 85%, p less than 0.001) and a lower complication rate (8 versus 15%, p less than 0.10) than those of initial angioplasty. Follow-up documentation was available in all 92 patients with successful repeat angioplasty. A second recurrence of stenosis was found in 26% (24 of 92). A third angioplasty was performed in seven patients; six procedures were successful and there have been no recurrences of stenosis. Repeat coronary angioplasty provides a means to treat recurrence of stenosis. It proved to be very successful and safe and yielded good long-term results. It also increased the percent of patients with documented lasting success after angioplasty from 63 to 78%.