Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty: importance of anticoagulant and fibrinolytic drugs.

At the Medical University of Pécs, Hungary, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was performed on 252 lesions in 235 patients. Primary success rate was 75%. Long femoral artery occlusions were recanalized with a 66% patency rate in lesions 10-20 cm long and a 47% patency rate in lesions longer than 20 cm. These relatively high patency rates were attributed to the use of SP 54, a fibrinolytic agent. In a group of 52 patients treated with SP 54 there were only four reocclusions, two of these occurring 12 months after angioplasty when SP 54 was discontinued. It was concluded that long occlusions may be amenable to angioplasty provided that appropriate fibrinolytic therapy is instituted after the procedure.