[Immediate and long-term results of coronary angioplasty in patients with low ejection fraction].

Left ventricular function is the main predictive factor for survival in coronary patients and the results of coronary bypass surgery in left ventricular dysfunction have been widely reported. The authors undertook a retrospective study of the success rate, the risks and clinical outcome after coronary angioplasty of 182 patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 35% (30 +/- 4%). The average age was 61 +/- 10 years and 78% were men. One hundred and fifty three patients had a history of myocardial infarction. The primary success rate of angioplasty was 95% (271/284 lesions) including the multiple procedures in 24% of cases. There was a 7.1% frequency of major complications (7 deaths, 3 non-Q wave infarctions, 4 emergency coronary bypass procedures). An average follow-up period of 32 months was obtained in 98.4% of patients. Seven patients developed a myocardial infarction and 14 patients were rehospitalized for cardiac failure (N = 6) or severe ventricular arrhythmias (N = 8). A control coronary angiography was performed in 100 cases either as a routine investigation or for recurrence of symptoms. Restenosis was demonstrated in 33 cases, an aggravation of lesions on another vessel in 12 cases and restenosis associated with aggravation of other lesions in 5 cases, leading to redilatation in 26 cases, atherectomy in 2 cases and coronary bypass surgery in 16 cases. Forty-one patients died (25%). Ten patients died before the 6th month and 31 died secondarily. The only parameter which was significantly correlated with survival was the value of the ejection fraction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)