title: Coronary angioplasty in the elderly: immediate and long-term results.
abstract: Coronary angioplasty was performed in 37 elderly patients (> sixty-eight years) with unstable or stable angina, refractory to medical treatment. History of myocardial infarction was present in 38% and of previous bypass surgery in 5% of patients. Coronary angiography revealed single-vessel disease in 22 (59%) and multivessel disease in 15 (41%) of patients. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 53 +/- 17%. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was successful in 92% of patients; there were two angioplasty failures and 1 acute occlusion leading to Q wave myocardial infarction. In patients with multivessel disease complete revascularization was achieved in 33%. Follow-up data (21.29 +/- 9.23 months) are available in all patients with primary angiographic success. There was 1 death. Seventy-nine percent of patients had an improved anginal status, and repeat PTCA was performed in 2 patients because of clinical recurrence. Thus, coronary angioplasty is a safe and efficacious method of revascularization in symptomatic patients over the age of sixty-eight years.
authors.affiliation: Hemodynamic and Interventional Cardiology Unit, General Hospital of Athens, Evangelismos, Greece.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Voudris
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Antonellis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salachas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ifantis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sionis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Margaris
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koroxenidis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome