Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Historical Development

Atherosclerosis, the underlying cause for most cardiovascular disease is a process that starts early in life and progresses slowly and silently for decades, usually becoming manifest in the form of angina, myocardial infarction, stroke, or sudden death. Although several established risk factors are involved in this process, inflammation is now considered to play an important role. Treatment of cardio vascular disease aims to minimize symptoms and improve the prognosis, which could be achieved by lifestyle changes, medical treatment, and myocardial revascularization which includes percutaneous coronary intervention. The subspecialty of interventional cardiology has made significant progress in the management of coronary artery disease over the past three decades with the development of percutaneous coronary intervention.