The clinical and angiographic outcome of 18 patients with coronary thrombus undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty without antecedent heparin therapy was compared to that of a group of 35 patients receiving pre-procedural heparin therapy. The former group had a significant reduction in angiographic success (61 vs 94%, p less than 0.05) and a significant increase in immediate postprocedural thrombotic arterial occlusion (33 vs 6%, p less than 0.05). This difference existed despite equivalent frequencies of antiplatelet therapy. Prolonged intravenous heparin therapy before angioplasty in the setting of coronary thrombus improves the overall success rate and lessens the likelihood of periprocedural coronary arterial thrombosis.