Restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA): A report from the PTCA registry of the national heart, lung, and blood institute

The results of follow-up angiography in patients from 27 clinical centers enrolled in the PTCA Registry were analyzed to evaluate restenosis after PTCA. Of 665 patients with successful PTCA, 557 (84%) had follow-up angiography (median follow-up 188 days). Restenosis, defined as an increase of at least 30% from the immediate post-PTCA stenosis to the follow-up stenosis or a loss of at least 50% of the gain achieved at PTCA, was seen in 187 patients (33.6%). The incidence of restenosis in patients who underwent follow-up angiography was highest within the first 5 months after PTCA. Restenosis was found in 56% of patients with definite or probable angina after PTCA and in 14% of patients without angina after PTCA. Twenty-four percent of patients with restenosis did not have either definite or probable angina. Multivariate analysis selected 4 factors associated with increased rate of restenosis: male sex, PTCA of bypass graft stenosis, severity of angina before PTCA and no history of MI before PTCA.