Article Abstract:
Coronary artery stenting is less expensive than coronary artery bypass surgery, but patients who receive stents will need additional treatments to keep the artery open. Stents are small cylinders that are placed inside coronary arteries to keep them open.
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Article Abstract:
Directional coronary atherectomy may cause more complications than coronary angioplasty in patients with coronary artery disease. Atherectomy is a procedure that involves the direct removal of lipid-containing plaques from the inside of the coronary artery. Angioplasty is a procedure that uses a balloon catheter to flatten plaques against an artery wall. Among 1,012 patients with coronary artery disease, 512 had atherectomy and 500 had angioplasty. Eighty-nine percent of the patients who had atherectomy had a 50% or more reduction in the narrowing of their arteries, compared with 80% of those who had angioplasty. Eleven percent of the patients in the atherectomy group developed early complications, compared with 5% of those in the angioplasty group. The risk of a heart attack or death six months after treatment was higher for patients who had a atherectomy. In-hospital costs were also higher for the patients in the atherectomy group.
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Article Abstract:
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) appears to result in 5-year survival rates that are similar to bypass surgery in patients with coronary artery disease in more than one artery. Five-year survival rates were 89.3% in 914 patients with multivessel disease who received bypass surgery and 86.3% in 915 patients who received angioplasty. However, within one year of treatment, 42% of the angioplasty group required further treatment compared to only 3% of those receiving bypass surgery. At 5 years the rates were 54% and 8%, respectively. Almost one-third of those who had angioplasty eventually had to have bypass surgery.
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