Do patients take angioplasty seriously?

2017 Marks the 40th anniversary of the first coronary angioplasty performed on a human subject by Dr Andreas Gruntzig in Switzerland. Sadly, Dr Gruntzig was killed aged 46 in a plane crash before he was able to see what has evolved into a stent revolution. Balloon angioplasty was followed by the development of stents, which reduced the risk of restenosis that was a significant and problematic side-effect in the early days. The technological development of stents has been nothing short of astonishing, with an evolution that has taken us from bare metal stents to drug-eluting stents. Bio-absorbable stents that dissolve are being tested in randomised controlled trials. In addition, the procedural complexity of angioplasty has progressed from the treatment of single vessel lesions to more complex staged procedures, which in the past would have required open heart surgery. The length of hospital stay has decreased, with elective procedures done as a day case in some countries. Some cardiologists have likened angioplasty treatment to a trip to the dentist!