[Angioplasty in acute and chronic occlusion of the coronary arteries]

An attempt of mechanical restoration of coronary artery patency and its angioplasty was carried out in 37 patients including 9 with acute myocardial infarction within 5 hours after the onset of an angina pain. The procedure was effective in 17 patients (45.9%), including 6 with acute myocardial infarction (66.7%). Mean time of a coronary artery occlusion was 5.1 weeks in the group with a good result in comparison with 17.2 weeks in the group with the unsuccessful procedure. In patients in whom restoration of a coronary artery patency was carried out within up to 3 months after its occlusion the procedure was effective in 64 per cent of them. Effectiveness of restoration of a coronary artery patency and its dilatation depends on the time from its occlusion to the procedure. The early attempt of the restoration of a coronary artery patency is effective in the majority of patients. In cases of the unsuccessful recanalization of a coronary artery occluded for a short time the main limitation of the procedure effectiveness was the vessel anatomy. The follow-up of 17 patients after a successful procedure showed restenosis or reocclussion in 6 of them (35%). It was referred in 1 case to the patient in whom restoration of a vessel patency was carried out during acute myocardial infarction (17%), and in 5 others to patients with a chronic occlusion of a coronary artery (45.5%).