Coronary angioplasty in the elderly patient. Immediate results and mid-term outcome

Between April 1980 and July 1986, 50 patients over 65 (32 men and 18 women; mean age: 72 years) were treated by transluminal coronary angioplasty. Before the dilatation, 58 p. cent of the patients presented a severe angor (class III or IV) and 44 p. cent were multi-truncular. The dilatation was successful in 39 patients (78%) and 13 patients developed a recurrent stenosis successfully treated in 9 instances by re-dilatation. Among the complications, there were 2 deaths (4%), 3 infarctions (6%) and 3 emergency coronary bypass operations (6%). With a mean 28 months follow-up, the overall survival is 92 p. cent. After a successful dilatation, 49 p. cent of the patients are completely asymptomatic and the subsequent cardiological hospitalizations are rare (11%). These results show that coronary dilatation represents an interesting therapeutic option in elderly coronary patients.