Outcome of Patients Undergoing Balloon Angioplasty in the Two Months Prior to Noncardiac Surgery

We report on the incidence of adverse cardiac events in 350 patients who underwent noncardiac surgery within 2 months of successful balloon angioplasty (BA) at our institution between 1988 and 2001. Three patients died perioperatively (n = 1) or had myocardial infarction (n = 2) (0.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2% to 2.5%), which is a lower incidence than that reported for patients undergoing noncardiac surgery after stenting (3.9% to 32%). One patient died, and 2 had a nonfatal myocardial infarction. All 3 (1.6%, 95% CI 0.3% to 4.6%) were among the 188 patients who underwent surgery within 2 weeks of BA. Repeat target vessel revascularization was performed in 10 patients (2.9%, 95% CI 1.4% to 5.2%): in 3 (1.6%, 95% CI 0.3% to 4.6%) of 188 patients who underwent surgery within 2 weeks of BA and in 7 (5.1%, 95% CI 2.1% to 10.2%) of 138 patients who underwent surgery within 3 to 7 weeks of BA. Therefore, in patients in whom percutaneous coronary revascularization is required before noncardiac surgery, BA appears to be safe, especially in patients who need to undergo surgery early after percutaneous coronary intervention.