Abstract
To date, physicians at our hospital have performed coronary atherectomy on 15 patients. Of these patients, four needed open heart surgery. One patient needed surgery because a vessel was dissected during the procedure, and the three other patients had unsuccessful procedures. One patient died due to a cerebrovascular bleed related to the anticoagulation therapy required for the procedure. Of the remaining patients, three had no reocclusion and four had reocclusion at their six-month follow-up examinations. The remaining patients have not had a six-month follow-up examination. The restenosis rate at our institution is 25%. It is hoped that catheter-mediated atherectomy will be an effective, predictable transluminal treatment of single or multiple focal stenosis. Because of the small patient sampling and short duration follow-up, no trends have been established. A six-month follow-up with angiography will establish patency and restenosis rates.
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