INFLUENCE OF ADJUNCTIVE BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY ON CORONARY BLOOD-FLOW AFTER ROTATIONAL ATHERECTOMY

Rotational atherectomy is being performed with increasing frequency in a distinct subset of patients whose lesion characteristics are unfavo rable for conventional balloon angioplasty. Although satisfactory lumi nal enlargement can be accomplished with the use of rotational atherec tomy alone in same patients, adjunctive balloon angioplasty is necessa ry in most patients, to obtain a minimal residual angiographic result. To demonstrate responses associated with rotational atherectomy resul ts, serial coronary blood flow measurements were obtained in a patient undergoing rotational atherectomy for unstable angina. Adjunctive bal loon angioplasty resulted in normalization of post-stenotic coronary f low reserve. Recanalization by rotablator alone may not normalize coro nary flow despite a satisfactory angiographic result. (C) 1995 Wiley-L iss, Inc.