How common is the progression of non-culprit lesion after PTCA ? What is the significance?

Whenever a patient is getting discharged after a PCI, the treating cardiologist often faces this situation. So, you fixed the block in my coronary artery doctor. Thank you so much. Now, I can have a peaceful life, free from  future heart problems. “Am I right doctor”? I wish I can answer “Yes”  to your query but I can’t for the following reasons. I have fixed only a lesion that caused maximum obstruction. Atherosclerosis is a diffuse disease and you have minor plaques scattered across your coronary artery. These can grow at its own will. So you carry a definite risk remote from the current problem. (Don’t get frightened, read further, you have definite solutions to reduce this risk.) How common is the progression of native vessel disease? It varies from 10 to 40%. Mind you, the exact incidence directly depends upon the compliance of medical management, risk factor reduction, and adaptation to a new life healthy lifestyle. In effect, you (the patients) decide the incidence. One surprise phenomenon (though unproven) might happen. Since the tightest lesion is jailed with a scaffold the minor lesion is preselected to an accelerated process of atherosclerosis if medical treatment is not properly followed. Dr.Zellweger from the university hospital, Basel, did an extraordinary study with 400 patients, meticulous 5 years follow up with SPECT and found remote lesions accounted for 40% of future events (Basel Stent Kosten-Effektivitäts Trial [BA...
Source: Dr.S.Venkatesan MD - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COURAGE ORBITA ISCHEMIA post ptca care progression of native vessel disease after ptca Source Type: blogs