A Comparison of Angioplasty with Medical Therapy in the Treatment of Single-Vessel Coronary Artery Disease

PERCUTANEOUS transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is an increasingly popular treatment for coronary-artery stenosis. An estimated 200,000 procedures were performed in the United States and another 100,000 in Europe during 1990. 1 The growth in the use of PTCA has been based on its perceived benefits as compared with medical or surgical treatment, yet these benefits have not been demonstrated by a randomized clinical trial, despite repeated recommendations for such a study. 2 3 4 5 6 7 Specifically, the question of whether PTCA offers any advantage over drug therapy in patients with single-vessel coronary artery disease and stable angina has remained unanswered. The Coronary Artery Surgery Study . . .