Role of the different percutaneous revascularization techniques in single and multivessel coronary artery disease.

Over the past 16 years coronary angioplasty has become an established therapy for coronary artery disease. Advances in technology and growing operator experience have improved initial success rates, lowered the complications associated with coronary angioplasty and expanded the indications of percutaneous revascularization to include large numbers of patients with complex lesions. The mechanisms of coronary angioplasty include plaque fracture, intimal atherosclerotic flaps, localized medial dissection and stretching of plaque-free segments. The problems and limitations of coronary angioplasty are: unfavourable lesion morphology which may preclude complete revascularization or increase the risk of major complications, "high-risk" patients requiring pharmacological or mechanical support, acute coronary occlusion, and restenosis, the 2 latter problems being related to the very mechanisms of coronary angioplasty. Recently, new interventional devices have been introduced: intracoronary stents, directional coronary atherectomy, rotational atherectomy, transluminal extraction atherectomy, excimer laser coronary angioplasty. A multidevice lesion-specific approach integrated with balloon angioplasty may optimize procedural results in a growing number of patients with complex coronary lesions. However, restenosis occurring within 6 months after successful angioplasty remains the "Achilles' heel" of coronary interventional procedures and erodes the potential advantages angioplasty holds over coronary bypass surgery. These 2 forms of myocardial revascularization are currently compared for the treatment of multivessel disease in randomized trials.