Angiographic predictors of a rise in serum creatine kinase (distal embolization) after balloon angioplasty of saphenous vein coronary artery bypass grafts.

Distal coronary embolization is thought to be increased in the balloon angioplasty of coronary by-pass vein grafts. One hundred fifty-five procedures of balloon angioplasty involving single vein graft dilatation were successfully performed. Distal coronary embolization was defined as an elevation of creatine phosphokinase greater than twice the preangioplasty value and positive MB fraction. Twenty procedures were found to have embolism by this definition. Forty preangioplasty angiograms were randomly selected from the remaining procedures and analyzed as a control group. Eight angiographic features were evaluated as possible risk factors for distal coronary embolization, i.e., diffusely diseased vein graft, presence of thrombus, ulcerated lesion surface, marked eccentricity, large plaque volume, lesion angulation, abrupt proximal face and ectasia. A diffusely diseased vein graft (p = 0.002), presence of thrombus (p = 0.006), irregular or ulcerated lesion surface (p = 0.007), large plaque volume (p = 0.02) and marked eccentricity (p = 0.03) were found to be important predictors by univariate analysis. A diffusely diseased vein graft and a large plaque volume were found to be important independent predictors by multivariate analysis. The presence of thrombus and an irregular or ulcerated lesion surface frequently coexist with a diffusely diseased vein graft. It is concluded that a diffusely diseased vein graft and a large plaque volume are important independent predictors of distal embolization, and thrombus and an ulcerated lesion surface are also important.