And this is worrisome, Granger said. We are concerned that inexperienced hospitals are rushing to set up direct angioplasty services, forsaking faster, efficient drug therapy to offer perhaps less than optimal intervention. But there are few hospitals like that. The finding is sure to intensify the already vigorous debate about the benefit of direct angioplasty, a procedure that a growing number of cardiologists love to do, Granger said in an interview. There seems to be no middle ground in this issue.
Most people are on one side or the other - direct angioplasty or thrombolytic drug therapy.
Direct angioplasty is very satisfying to an interventional cardiologist, Granger said. A patient comes in to the emergency department complaining of chest pain. He is having a heart attack. The patient feels better right away - and the doctor sees the benefit of his work. Moreover, by working directly in the heart, physicians can tailor follow-up treatment.