Early Results of Utilizing Long Balloons During Coronary Angioplasty

Utilisation of long balloons during PTCA especially for long, diffuse lesions appears to be a promising new method in the treatment of coronary artery discase. In this study, two groups of patients with clinically similar characteristics were treated either with long balloons or conventional short balloons in order to evaluate a) the efficacy and safety of long balloons, b) the acute effects of long balloons in the normal vessel segment adjacent to the lesions. The first group (G1) consisted of 17 patients with long lesions, and long balloons were used. The second group (G2) consisted of 20 patients with short lesions, and short balloons were used. Lesion diameter, lesion length, luminal narrowing, proximal and distal normal vessel diameters were measured quantitatively before and after PTCA, and the results were evaluated statistically. Procedural success was complete in all patients in both groups. Mean luminal narrowing was 73±10% and 76±11% before dilatation and 17±8% and 23±10% after dilatation in G1 and G2, respectively. There was no significant complicant complication in any of the patients following dilatation. In 2 patients from G1 and in 1 patient from G2 intimal dissection occurred without compromising distal flow. Quantitative measurement of results were also not different between the two groups as well as in the same group before and after dilatation. In conclusion; a) long balloons are effective and safe especially in long lesions, b) no acute changes were observed immediately after PTCA in normal proximal distal vessel segments, c) restenosis rate after long balloon utilisation needs to be studied in a longer follow-up period.