[Improvement in myocardial function and perfusion after recanalizing a chronic coronary artery occlusion].

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the improvement of the left ventricular ejection fraction and myocardial perfusion after recanalization of chronic coronary artery occlusions. The patients were investigated by rest and exercise radionuclide ventriculography (25/31) and rest and exercise myocardial scintigraphy (22/31). The examinations were performed 3 +/- 1 days before and within 7 days and 4 months after recanalization. Exercise-induced chest pain was present in 77% (24/31) of the patients before, in 10% (3/31) after recanalization and in 23% (7/31) during follow-up. Six of the 7 patients with exercise-induced chest pain after 4 months developed restenosis in the former reopened coronary artery. The results of the exercise-ECG present that 71% (22/31) of the patients had ST-segment-depression before, 19% (6/31) after catheter-intervention and 26% (8/31) during follow-up. Six of the 8 patients with exercise-induced ST-depression after 4 months had a restenosis in the former reopened coronary artery. Reopening resulted in an increase of global rest ejection fraction (EF) from 51 +/- 11% to 54 +/- 13% (p < 0.05) and sectorial EF from 56 +/- 17% to 61 +/- 21% (p < 0.01) after recanalization. After 4 months patients with excellent angiographic results still had an increased global and sectorial EF at rest (global: 54 +/- 9%, sectorial: 59 +/- 17%; n.s.). Patients with restenosis (note: no reocclusion) developed a decrease of global and sectorial rest EF (global: 49 +/- 14%, sectorial: 57 +/- 19%; n.s.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)