Reasons for exclusion of patients from primary angioplasty or crossover from stent to balloon angioplasty
| Reason | Balloon group | Stent group |
|---|---|---|
| *All comparisons (stent versus balloon groups) not significant. | ||
| Patients who did not undergo primary angioplasty (n = 135)* | ||
| Number | 71 | 64 |
| No significant stenosis | 15 (21.1%) | 11 (17.2%) |
| Conservative treatment | 20 (28.2%) | 16 (25%) |
| Early bypass surgery | 25 (35.2%) | 27 (42.2%) |
| Guidewire crossing failure | 11 (15.5%) | 10 (15.6%) |
| Patients in the stent group (n = 785) who were unsuitable for stenting | ||
| Number | 109 (13.9%) | |
| Complex anatomy | 23.3% | |
| Cardiogenic shock or death in the cath lab | 3.7% | |
| In-stent occlusion | 1.9% | |
| Planned early bypass surgery | 8.3% | |
| Inability to cross lesion with the stent | 7.4% | |
| Diffuse sclerosis or small vessels | 55.3% | |