Less than 18 years have passed since the first coronary balloon angioplasty was performed in September 1977 by Andreas Gruntzig. In 1993, 185700 coronary angioplasties were performed in Europe and in many European countries, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty is the most com mon method of myocardial revascularization, well ahead of coronary bypass surgery. This explosive growth of interventional cardiology results from major technological advances. The balloons have been markedly improved with a better profile, excellent trackability, and good pushability. The steer able guide...