Safety and efficacy of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty performed at time of diagnostic catheterization compared with that performed at other times

Performing diagnostic cardiac catheterization and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) as a single, combined procedure might provide savings in patient hospitalization days and more efficient use of catheterization laboratory time. To assess the safety and efficacy of combined diagnostic coronary angiography and PTCA, we reviewed all elective PTCA procedures performed at our institution during 1985 and 1986 so that we could compare patients who had diagnostic angiography and angioplasty on separate days (n = 404) with those who had the combined procedure (n = 120). The success rate and incidences of urgent bypass surgery, acute myocardial infarction, transient azotemia and procedure-related death were not different in the 2 groups. The mean hospitalization time was 6.2 days in the group with combined angiography and angioplasty, and 7.3 days in the group having separate procedures.