[Registry of activities of the Hemodynamics and Interventional Cardiology Section in the year 1996].

The results of the Spanish Registry of Hemodynamic and Interventional Cardiology in 1996 are presented. The Registry collects the activity of 81 centers which constitutes all of the cardiac catheterization laboratories in Spain. The main activity was adult cardiac catheterization in 73 centers and exclusively pediatric cardiac catheterization in 8. A total of 63,961 diagnostic catheterization procedures were performed, which represents a 10.7% increase compared to 1995. This was mainly due to the increase in coronary angiographies. Coronary interventions increased by 21.4%, for a total number of 15,009 procedures. The ratio of coronary interventions per million inhabitants was 375. Success rates of coronary interventions (94%) and complications (2.9%) were similar to those registered in preceding years. In the specific field of revascularization devices, there has been a sustained and spectacular increase in the use of intracoronary stents in the last 3 years. In 1996, coronary stents were employed in 7,104 cases (47.3% of all coronary revascularization procedures) and 8,873 prosthesis were implanted, increasing two-fold the activity in that field when compared to 1995. Stent implantation was elective in 58% cases, and the complication rate was very low (1% subacute closure; 1.8% myocardial infarction and 0.9% mortality). Directional coronary atherectomy decreased by 47% in the last year whereas rotational atherectomy increased by 10% despite a reduction in the number of centers performing this technique. As in previous years, a slight decrease in adult valvuloplasties was noted. Pediatric interventional procedures (607) increased by 30% compared to the 1995 Registry.