Stent supported coronary angioplasty in patients with severe ventricular dysfunction

Objective To assess the immediate- and long-term outcomes of stent supported coronary an gioplasty in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction. Methods Seventy-four consecutive patients with angiographic le ft ventricular ejection fr actions ≤40% underwent percutaneous coronary angioplasty, including 61 (81%) wi th stent back-up. Clinical follow-up (29.1±22.9 months) data were obtained in all clinically successful patients. Results Angiographic success was achieved in 120 (89.5%) of 134 lesions. Clinical succ ess was obtained in 66 (89.2%) patients with 1.4% procedure related mortalit y, 2.7% myocardial infarction and zero need of emergent bypass surgery. NYHA class reduction ≥1 was seen in 29 (73%) of 40 successfully treated congestive heart failure patients at 6 months after the procedure. During long-term foll ow-up, 58 (87.9%) of 66 patients with clinical success were alive, including 4 4 (68.6%) free from cardiac events. Conclusions Patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction treated with stent supported P TCA experience a high rate of success, low procedure related mortality and satis factory long-term survival.