Abstract: AIM To observe and analyze the correlation between postoperative cardiac troponin I levels and the effect of selective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients with coronary heart disease. METHODSOne hundred and fifty-six patients undergoing elective PCI were enrolled between March 2014 and November 2015. Patients were divided into three groups according to coronary anatomy and lesion: LAD group (n=74), LCX group (n=29) and RCA group (n=53). Patients in LAD group were subdivided into two groups according to the levels of cTnI after operation: elevated group (n=44) and non-change group (n=30). Levels of cTnI were determined in all patients 3 h before and after PCI. Patients' basic data, surgical indicators and preoperative renal function, blood sugar, blood lipids, plasma and other biochemical markers were also recorded. RESULTSPostoperative cTnI levels increased significantly compared with those preoperative (P<0.01) in LAD group. No significant changes were found in LCX and RCA groups. Significant differences were found in the total length, mean diameter, total release pressure and total release time of stents, times of expansion, total release pressure, total release time, single expansion maximum pressure and whether to perform post-expansion of balloon, and in surgical time among the three groups. Proportion of preoperative high levels of LDL-C and CRP and single expansion maximum time of balloon in elevated group were significantly higher than those in the non-change group. CONCLUSIONPostoperative cTnI increases significantly compared with the preoperative value (P<0.05) in patients with LAD lesions. The preoperative high level of LDL-C, high level of CRP and single expansion maximum time of balloon may be predictors of the increase of cTnI after PCI.