title: Influence of stenotic lesion morphology on immediate and long-term (6 months) angiographic outcome: comparative analysis of directional coronary atherectomy versus standard balloon angioplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study sought to determine whether preprocedural lesion morphology differentially affects the outcome of directional coronary atherectomy versus standard balloon angioplasty.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Despite previous studies (Canadian Coronary Atherectomy Trial [CCAT]/Coronary Angioplasty Verus Excisional Atherectomy Trial [CAVEAT]), directional coronary atherectomy continues to be recommended on the basis of lesion-specific features, although the validity of this approach has never been proved.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, subgroup analysis of the CCAT data base (group average +/- SD) was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the long term (6 months), both procedures were equally successful in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (directional atherectomy 0.62 +/- 0.70 mm vs. coronary angioplasty 0.70 +/- 0.72 mm, p = NS), with atherectomy tending to perform best in relatively "simple" lesions (American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association [ACC/AHA] type A: atherectomy 0.57 +/- 0.70 mm vs. angioplasty 0.50 +/- 0.77 mm; ACC/AHA type B1: atherectomy 0.65 +/- 0.68 mm vs. angioplasty 0.60 +/- 0.68 mm) and those with moderate dystrophic calcification (atherectomy 0.79 +/- 0.56 mm vs. angioplasty 0.45 +/- 0.73 mm). Although greatest minimal lumen diameter gains were seen in larger (> 3 mm) coronary arteries (atherectomy 0.76 +/- 0.62 mm vs angioplasty 0.80 +/- 0.72 mm, p = NS) and those with severe obstruction (preprocedural minimal lumen diameter < 1.0 mm: atherectomy 0.80 +/- 0.62 mm vs. angioplasty 0.84 +/- 0.63 mm, p = NS), neither technique was superior, and eccentric stenoses (symmetry index < 0.5) had similar outcomes (atherectomy 0.59 +/- 0.49 mm vs. angioplasty 0.62 +/- 0.65 mm, p = NS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data refute many preconceptions regarding the choice of directional coronary atherectomy on the basis of anatomic criteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Toronto and Mount Sinai Hospitals, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Kimball
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Adelman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D017225:Atherectomy, Coronary; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome