BACKGROUND The use of Rotablator in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty attempts to reduce the atheromatous plaque abrading it and fragmenting the parietal calcium of the artery. OBJECTIVE To report our experience with the use of Rotablator. METHODS Rotational atherectomy was performed in 189 patients aged 60.8 +/- 11 years (154 men). The clinical indication for the procedure was chronic angina in 22%, unstable angina in 44%, myocardial infarction in 21%, silent angina in 7% and re-stenosis in 6%. One hundred seventy seven patients were followed for a mean of 15.9 +/- 6.3 months. RESULTS Two hundred thirty six stenoses in 215 coronary arteries were treated with a 98.7% angiographic success rate. One patient had a Q infarction and no patient died or required emergency surgery. Fourteen patients had rises in CK MB enzymes (non Q infarction). Three patients had a pseudoaneurism and three had bleedings that required transfusion. Of the followed patients, 33 had a clinically suspected re-stenosis, that was angiographically confirmed in 23. Cardiac mortality was 2.3%. Seventy nine percent of patients had an evolution without angina or coronary events. CONCLUSIONS Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with the use of Rotablator had a high immediate success rate and a low incidence of complications. The clinical evolution of patients has been favorable with a low incidence of mortality and ischemic events.