Leading investigators and highly experienced clinicians collect and summarize the world's literature and augment this with practical wisdom concerning this critically important form of care, including its technical, professional, and administrative aspects. Among the topics covered are the technique and technology of direct angioplasty, patient selection, regulatory issues, performance metrics, clinical trials and outcomes, adjunctive pharmacology, economics, and implications for the health care system. The practicing cardiologist will appreciate the many useful how-to tips and pointers; the cardiology fellow will value the a-to-z approach that addresses all critical issues; the administrator will learn all the details of creating, maintaining, evaluating, and justifying a successful program.