(November 7, 2008 - Insidermedicine) Having blocked blood vessels opened up with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is less invasive than bypass surgery but is associated with 10 times the risk of needing another intervention later, according to research published in the journal Heart.

Here is some information about two key techniques used to open blocked blood vessels that feed the heart:

•    PCI involves feeding a balloon-tipped catheter through the blood vessels up to the blockage. The balloon is inflated, thus opening the vessel.

•    In PCI, a metal tube called a stent is sometimes placed where the blockage used to be to keep the blood vessel open.

•    Bypass surgery, also known as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), is a major surgical procedure in which blood vessels are removed from the leg and used to create a new channel for blood to reach the heart.

Researchers out of the University of Leicester looked at the long-term outcomes of over 6,000 patients who underwent PCI or CABG for the first time to open blocked coronary arteries between 1995 and 2006.

While survival rates were similar for those who underwent PCI or CABG, those who underwent PCI were 10 times more likely to require another procedure to again unblock clogged coronary arteries at some point in the future. Implanting a stent reduced this risk somewhat, but not nearly as much as undergoing CABG.

We had a chance to speak with Dr. Iain Squire, one of the investigators of this study, who offered some further insight.

Today’s research highlights the improvements in outcomes that have occurred with PCI and CABG. It also demonstrates that while both offer excellent survival, the chances of needing a repeat artery-opening procedure are much greater with PCI.