PREDICTORS OF SUCCESSFUL PTCA USING CORONARY PERFUSION BALLOON CATHETERS

The purpose of this retrospective study was to define clinical, angiog raphic and procedural predictors of successful PTCA using perfusion ba lloon catheters (PBC). Age, gender, diabetes, clinical state (stable o r unstable angina), coronary vessel, AHA/ACC lesion type, lesion conto ur, pre-procedural thrombus, percent stenosis, lesion length, balloon size, maximum PBC pressure, and maximum inflation time were analyzed f or 207 lesions in 193 successive patients. Unsuccessful results occurr ed more frequently in patients with unstable angina, pre-PTCA thrombus , and those treated with smaller balloon catheter diameter. Logistical regression analysis identified larger balloon size (odds ratio [OR] = 0.447 [95% confidence interval 0.203, 0.986], p < .05); and absence o f thrombus (OR = 2.217 [95% confidence interval 1.066, 4.610], p < .05 ) as predictors of success. This study suggests that small vessel size , approximated by balloon size selection, and the presence of pre-PTCA thrombus reduces the likelihood of success, especially in the setting of unstable angina. In these cases other percutaneous interventions m ay be warranted.