Rotational atherectomy has been developed for several years. It is a useful tool in complex coronary lesion morphologies such as diffuse, calcific, ostial and angulated lesion. We report initial experience of the rotational atherectomy in complex coronary artery morphology.

We included 64 patients who was treated with rotational atherectomy since July 1997 to February 1999. Mean age was 56±9 years with 47 male patients. Clinical diagnosis was 12 acute myocardial infarction, 49 unstable angina, and 3 stable angina. Rotational atherectomy was done by transfemoral or transradial approach with adjunctive ballooning and/or stenting in all patients.

Ninty-one percent of the treated lesions showed complex lesion morphologies (B2/C lesion) with 43 left anterior descending artery and 19 right coronary artery. Rotational atherectomy was done in 37 de novo lesion (58%) and 27 (42%) restenosis patients. Transradial approach was done in 33 patients (52%). Mean maximal burr size was 1.68 mm and mean burr to reference artery ratio was 0.63. Rotastenting were done in 58% of the patients with higher post-procedure minimal lumen diameter, % diameter stenosis and net gain than rotablator with adjunctive balloon angioplasty. Overall procedural success was 94% (62/64). Complications were one non-Q infarction, one coronary artery perforation, two slow flow, and one guidewire fracture. None of the patients showed inhospital mortality or 30 day cardiac event (death, emergency CABG, Q-infarction, or re-intervention).

Rotational atherectomy is a useful technique with high success rate without showing major cardiac events during inhospital period and within 30 days.