[Coronary angioplasty for the recovery of myocardial function after acute myocardial infarction: mid- and long-term results].

Sixty-three patients with previous myocardial infarction and documented hypoperfused reversibly dysfunctional myocardium after 201thallium tomography and/or echo-dobutamine were candidates to coronary angioplasty. Patients were enrolled at four hospitals (Naples, Milan, Pisa and Varese) and evaluated by different study protocols, while endpoint (presence of myocardial viability and efficacy of coronary angioplasty to improve dysfunctional myocardium) was similar. Sixty-two patients underwent successful angioplasty, and early evaluation (between 1 and 3 months after procedure) showed the ability of either 201thallium tomography and/or dobutamine echocardiography, to identify hypoperfused reversibly dysfunctional myocardium. Ten patients underwent late (after 8 +/- 2 months) evaluation of both wall motion and myocardial perfusion showing a sustained improvement in 25/32 hypoakinetic myocardial segments. Our data confirm the efficacy of revascularization of hypoperfused dysfunctional myocardial segments by coronary angioplasty. Further studies are warranted to obtain a better patient stratification and to evaluate the long-term results.