A six-year evolution of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty: The Cleveland Clinic experience, 1981-1986

Abstract

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was initially introduced as an alternative to coronary bypass surgery for patients with single-vessel disease, and its use has expanded over the years to include patients with acute myocardial infarction and multivessel disease, as well as those who have previously undergone coronary bypass surgery. Distribution, indications, and results are analyzed on a year-to-year basis from a cohort of 3,973 patients treated by PTCA at the Cleveland Clinic from 1981 through 1986.