Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty through six French catheters.
We present the results of 221 coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures in which a 6 French diagnostic catheter was chosen as a guiding catheter. A total of 218 were done through a femoral and 3 through an axillary approach.  Total occlusion PTCA was done in 9 (4%) and multivessel PTCA in 19 procedures (9%).  In 191 (86%) procedures a fixed-wire system was used (ACE Scimed, Probe USCI, Orion Cordis), and in 30 (14%) a monorail system (Speedy Schneider, Express Scimed).  The mean nominal inflated balloon diameter was 2.9+/-0.3 mm (range 2.0-4.0), and the catheter internal lumen varied between 0.041 and 0.055 inch.  In 186 procedures (84%) all targeted lesions could be successfully dilated through the 6 French catheter.  In 30 (14%) patients, the guiding catheter was changed to a 7 or 8 French, for an overall success rate of 95%.  Results with 6 French catheters were significantly better in our late experience (success rate of 92% for the last 110 procedures compared to 77% for the first 111 procedures) (p less than 0.01).  There were no new Q-wave myocardial infarctions, but 6 patients (2.7%) had moderate CK elevation, 1 required emergent bypass surgery, 1 underwent emergent coronary stenting, and there was 1 in-hospital death.  The overall major complication rate was 3.2%.  In selected patients, PTCA can be safely and effectively done through a diagnostic 6 French guiding catheter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Urban
P
P
Cardiology Center, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
Moles
V P
VP
Pande
A K
AK
Verine
V
V
Haine
E
E
Meier
B
B
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000517:prevention & control; D016896:Treatment Outcome