title: Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in patients aged 70 years and older: immediate and long-term results.
abstract: We analyzed all coronary angioplasty procedures performed in patients aged greater than 70 yr since 1987. There were a total of 92 patients with a mean age of 74 +/- 4 yr (range 70-82). The clinical diagnosis was unstable angina in 79%. Single-vessel disease was present in 41%, double-vessel in 29% and triple-vessel in 30% of patients. A left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 40% was present in 18 patients. Angioplasty was attempted on one vessel in 52 patients (56%), on two vessels in 29 patients (32%) and in three vessels in 10 patients (11%). Angiographic success was achieved in 96% of stenoses and in 53% of chronic total occlusions attempted. Complete revascularization was achieved in 56% of patients. Complications included three patients (3.2%) who underwent emergency coronary artery bypass grafting, 1 patient (1.1%) who sustained a myocardial infarction and 5 patients (5.4%) who died. During hospitalization, which averaged 3 +/- 2 days, 1 patients sustained reversible renal failure and 5 patients required blood transfusion for a large groin hematoma. Clinical success at discharge was 83%. At a mean follow-up of 13 months (range 3-45 months), symptomatic improvement was observed in 59 of the 76 patients who had achieved clinical success, with 42 of these patients (55%) being asymptomatic. The following clinical events occurred: myocardial infarction in 1 patient, new percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in 9 and 3 patients died of cardiac reasons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Catheterization Laboratory, Centro Cuore Columbus, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maiello
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gianrossi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Finci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015996:Survival Rate