Long-term outcome of patients with depressed left ventricular function undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. The NHLBI PTCA Registry.

Coronary revascularization with bypass has been shown to improve survival in patients with coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction. In these patients, use of nonsurgical revascularization with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is increasing, although their long-term outcome has not been well delineated. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the outcome of angioplasty in patients with decreased left ventricular function and contrast it with the results in patients with normal left ventricular function.