[The role of percutaneus coronary interventions in the treatment of coronary artery disease].
In industrial countries, cardiovascular diseases remain the primary cause of death. This review summarizes the role of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Interventional therapy of coronary artery disease was initiated in 1977 with the introduction of balloon angioplasty by Andreas Grüntzig in Zurich. Technical progress since has been related to construction and materials of catheters, but also to digital processing of x-ray imaging. Additional methods - rotablation, atherectomy, laser, intravascular ultrasound, and most importantly stent implantation were developed. Only stents significantly changed the procedure. They are today an integral part of PCI.
Universitätsklinik für Kardiologie, Inselspital und Universität Bern.
Philipp M
PM
Lepper
Stephan
S
Windecker
Bernhard
B
Meier
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D015607:Stents