COMPARISON OF QUANTITATIVE CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHIC RESULTS AFTER DIRECTIONAL CORONARY ATHERECTOMY AND BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY OF PROTECTED LEFT MAIN CORONARY STENOSIS

We compared the angiographic and clinical outcomes after directional c oronary atherectomy (DCA, 13 patients) with those after conventional b alloon angioplasty (BA, 21 patients) in patients with protected left m ain coronary artery stenosis. The initial success rate was 100% in the DCA group and 81% (17 of 21) in the BA group. Restenosis was present in 2 of 11 patients in the DCA group and 9 of 16 patients in the BA gr oup (18% vs. 56%, P < 0.05), DCA and BA improved a minimal lumen diame ter, The initial gain after DCA was greater than that after BA, At fol low-up, the minimal lumen diameter was larger and the percentage diame ter stenosis was smaller in the DCA group than in the BA group. The la te loss and loss index were equivalent in both groups. Compared with c onventional BA, DCA in protected left main coronary artery stenosis is associated with a higher angiographic success rate and provides a wid er luminal diameter with reduced incidence of restenosis. (C) 1998 Wil ey-Liss, Inc.