Objective: To evaluate whether percutaneous coronary rotational atherectomy (RA) improves quality of life.
Design: Prospective sequential study of the first 20 patients who had RA at St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver from November 1993 to April 1994.
Setting: Tertiary care teaching hospital.
Patients: There were nine males and 11 females with a mean age of 68 +/- 9.3 years. All had angina pectoris with type B or C coronary lesions.
Interventions: RA was performed using the Rotablator device.
Results: The procedure was angiographically successful in 20 patients and clinically successful in 18 patients. Two patients who sustained acute myocardial infarctions underwent coronary bypass surgery. Before RA there was one patient in Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina class I, five patients in class II, 12 in class III, and two in class IV. At six months' follow-up there were 11 patients in class I, seven in class II and two in class III. The mean Duke Activity Status Index improved from 21.3 +/- 15.8 (mean +/- SD) before the procedure to 36.9 +/- 15.8 (P < 0.001) at six months' follow-up. The consumption of anti-anginal medications also decreased.
Conclusions: RA was associated with improved functional status and quality of life in patients having angina pectoris with type B or C coronary lesions.