Preservation of regional myocardial function during coronary angioplasty with an autoperfusion balloon catheter: a case report. Echocardiographic assessment of regional myocardial function was performed during standard balloon coronary angioplasty followed by autoperfusion balloon angioplasty of a proximal left anterior descending artery stenosis. Septal and apical akinesis occurred within 60 seconds of standard balloon inflation, but regional function was well preserved during prolonged autoperfusion balloon inflation. 