[Results of a survey of 549 patients regarding long-term clinical outcome and quality of life four years after PTCA].
BACKGROUND
Quality control becomes increasingly important in interventional cardiology. Since in most health care systems, clinical treatment of patients who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is left to general practitioners, important information on the clinical long-term outcome is lost for the cardiologic centers. Aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical status of these patients 4 years after treatment with a PTCA at our institution.


METHODS
Inclusion criterion was the treatment with a PTCA within July 1, 1989 to June 30, 1991 (549 patients). A questionnaire was sent to all patients (45 +/- 7 months after PTCA). Four time-points were defined: before PTCA (T1), directly after PTCA (T2), 3 months after PTCA (T3) and actual status (T4).


RESULTS
Questionnaires of 500/549 (91.1%) patients could be analyzed. One-hundred and fifteen patients (23%) had to undergo reinterventions: 69 (13.8%) had a re-PTCA and 46 (9.2%) patients an operative revascularization. At T4, 11.2% patients still had disturbing angina. Within the study period 35 patients (7%) died. Two-hundred and nineteen patients attended a rehabilitation institution. At T4, the amount of patients with little angina was not different comparing patients with/without the attendance of a rehabilitation institution (60.7% vs 66.4% p = 0.29). The rate of new pensioners after PTCA (n = 114 [22.8%]) was higher in the group of patients who attended a rehabilitation (68 patients [13.6%] with vs 48 patients [9.2%] without attendance, p = 0.0036). The attendance of a rehabilitation institution, however, had positive effects on changes of the life style and eating habits.


CONCLUSIONS
This retrospective inquiry was found to be a useful tool (response rate 91.1%) for quality control in interventional cardiology. Important information concerning the quality of the interventions (low reintervention rate) and the long-term outcome of our patients (low rate with severe angina at T4) could be acquired.
Schröder
S
S
Abteilung für Kardiologie, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen. Dr.Schroeder@t-online.de
Baumbach
A
A
Herdeg
C
C
Oberhoff
M
M
Buchholz
O
O
Karsch
K R
KR
D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires