title: Directional coronary atherectomy in lesions unfavourable for balloon angioplasty: initial Green Lane and Mercy Hospitals experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  directional coronary atherectomy is a new percutaneous interventional technique in which coronary arterial stenotic material is shaved off to alleviate stenosis. This study presents the initial outcome of coronary atherectomy at Green Lane and Mercy hospitals where the major indications for atherectomy are lesions with angiographic appearances unfavourable for balloon angioplasty or where balloon angioplasty had been unsuccessful.
  
  
  METHODS
  data on patients undergoing coronary atherectomy between February 1990 and December 1991 were analysed. No patient or procedure was excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  for the first 28 lesions in 25 patients, procedural success, improvement in lumen diameter to less than 50% diameter loss stenosis, but freedom from myocardial infarction, death or emergency bypass surgery, was achieved in 27 of 28 lesions. In one patient there was acute thrombotic coronary arterial closure treated successfully by balloon angioplasty. Another patient developed an asymptomatic fistulous connection with an adjacent coronary vein which resolved spontaneously.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  although technically more difficult than balloon angioplasty, directional coronary atherectomy can be carried out in selected patients with a high initial success rate and low complication rate. The technique has allowed percutaneous treatment of a number of selected patients unsuitable for balloon angioplasty, and has turned an unsuccessful angioplasty into an initial procedural success in others.
authors.affiliation: Green Lane Hospital, Auckland.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ormiston
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Webster
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017225:Atherectomy, Coronary / Q000379:methods; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000601:surgery; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care