Cutting balloon angioplasty for ostial lesions of the left anterior descending artery

We evaluated the effectiveness of Cutting Balloon angioplasty for ostial le sions of the left anterior descending artery compared with conventional bal loon angioplasty. Cutting Balloon angioplasty (n = 7) produced larger acute gain (1.70 +/- 0.37 vs 0.48 +/- 0.25 mm, P < 0.001) and smaller late loss index (0.54 +/- 0.55 vs 1.32 +/- 0.81, P < 0.05) than conventional balloon angioplasty (n = 7). As a result, late restenosis was seen in only two pati ents undergoing Cutting Balloon angioplasty, but in all seven patients unde rgoing conventional balloon angioplasty. Ostial lesions of the left anterio r descending artery may be one of the suitable targets of Cutting Balloon a ngioplasty.