Clinical and Angiographic Results of Transluminal Extraction Coronary Atherectomy in Saphenous Vein Bypass Grafts

atherectomy is a relatively new device that has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Because of its ability to aspirate clot and atheromatous material, TEC atherectomy may be useful in patients with stenoses in saphe-nous vein bypass grafts. Methods and Results TEC atherectomy was performed on 158 saphenous vein graft lesions in 146 consecutive patients with a mean age of 65±8 years (78 % men). Clinical indications for atherectomy included stable angina (37%), unstable angina (54%), and postinfarction angina after recent (<1 month) myocardial infarction (8%). Patients with acute myocardial infarction and target vessels <2 mm in diameter were ex-cluded. The mean age of the bypass graft was 8.3±3.0 years, and 17 % were diffusely diseased and degenerated. Complex lesion morphology included total occlusion (6%), eccentricit