title: Results of angioplasty (with or without stent) at the site of a narrowed coronary anastomosis of the left internal mammary artery graft or via the internal mammary artery.
abstract: During the past 6 years, 50 patients underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of a narrowed coronary anastomosis of a left internal mammary artery (LIMA) graft or PTCA of a left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis via LIMA grafts at the investigators' institution. The success rate was high at 88%. Thirty-four of the 44 successfully treated patients (77%) underwent repeat angiography, which showed restenosis in 14 patients (41%). In cases of stent implantation at the coronary LIMA graft anastomosis angioplasty site, the restenosis rate was 80%, but it was only 14% in cases of pure balloon dilation (p = 0.001). Therefore, in cases of coronary LIMA graft anastomosis, stent implantation should be avoided, because it implicates an excessively high restenosis rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Dresden, Heart Center Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Köckeritz
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reynen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knaut
authors.forename: Ruth H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Strasser
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007387:Internal Mammary-Coronary Artery Anastomosis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects*