Use of cutting balloons in coronary interventions.
OBJECTIVE
To study the efficacy and safety of cutting balloons in coronary interventions.


METHODS
Twenty-two patients with 23 narrowed coronary arteries and 25 lesions enrolled the study, 17 of whom had 18 diseased coronary arteries and 18 lesions were in-stent restenosis. The average time from previous stenting was 7.60 +/- 3.53 months. The lesions were dilated with cutting balloons.


RESULTS
All of the lesions were dilated successfully by 5.16 +/- 2.30 inflations of a cutting balloon. The mean total duration of balloon inflation was 233.96 +/- 94.83 seconds at pressures up to 9.40 +/- 1.96 bars. The severity of vascular stenosis was lessened substantially (89.64 +/- 8.65% vs 17.60 +/- 17.15%, P = 0.000) without severe complications. Three restenotic lesions were further dilated with conventional balloons, another one was stented again because of a dissection distal to the previous stent. Three primary lesions were stented for dissection or residual stenosis. Angina pectoris reoccurred in two patients in a mean follow-up period of 7.42 +/- 6.87 (range 0.5-20) months.


CONCLUSIONS
Cutting balloon dilation is an effective and safe choice in interventions for coronary disease especially for in-stent restenosis.
Hong
Tao
T
Department of Cardiology, First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing 100034, China.
Huo
Yong
Y
Gao
Wei
W
Tian
Hongsen
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged