Role of cardiac surgery in the revascularization of patients with unstableangina in the era of interventional cardiology

Indications for surgical myocardial revascularization in patients with unst able angina have been extended during the last years achieving similar resu lts to those obtained in stable angina. On the other hand, percutaneous tra nsluminal coronary angioplasty in this same subgroup of patients have achie ved better results specially after the advent of intracoronary stenting. Se lection of a specific technique of revascularization may be nowadays diffic ult and the update indications for both surgery and angioplasty are discuss ed.