Prospective percutaneous coronary revascularization trials using balloon angioplasty, stenting and atherectomy in patients with ischemic heart disease have shown that the addition of abciximab, a blocker of platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptors, during intervention reduced the rates of thrombotic complications, particularly myocardial infarction, and death within 30 days. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) occurred in 0.0-0.1% of 2535 patients treated with abciximab, medium-dose aspirin, low-dose heparin and endovascular procedures. Endovascular coronary interventions disrupt or dissect the arterial wall, which leads to exposure of plaque contents and components of the vascular wall to the blood, resulting in platelet activation and thrombosis. Interestingly, also abciximab given 18 to 24 hours prior to intervention reduced the rate of thrombotic events suggesting some stabilization of the coronary plaque.