[Developments in and results of coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in the years 1981-1989 exemplified by 2015 treatments].
Beginning at October, 14th, 1981 until March, 10th, 1989 2015 PTCA-treatments on 1673 patients were performed in Göttingen. 2357 coronary lesions were treated, indicating an average of 1.17 lesions per treatment. During the observation period 1981 to 1986 versus 1987 to 1989 the subgroup of patients greater 65 years increased from 13.5% to 18.4% (p less than 0.01), while those patients with multivessel disease increased from 37% to 56% (p less than 0.001). During the compared observation periods the clinical success rate (all stenoses attempted greater than or equal to 20% reduced, no untowards events) was almost unchanged with 69%, versus 72%, respectively (p = n.s.). However, the rate of untowards events such as bypass grafting during the first 48 hours period decreased from 9.9% to 4.9% (p less than 0.001), the myocardial infarction rate decreased from 4.6% to 3.3% while the lethality rate stayed steadily low at 0.4%. Those nine years experience demonstrate in spite of older and sicker patients that the complication rate of PTCA procedures decreased while the success rate remained unchanged, a trend opposed to the development in coronary bypass grafting, where the complication rate increases due to older and sicker patients.