The objective of the treatment of myocardial infarction is to reestablish patency of the occluded artery as soon as possible. Two methods have been validated: intravenous thrombolysis which is easy to perform, and transluminal coronary angioplasty requiring expensive infrastructures and a skilled medical team but which has a higher success rate of restoring arterial patency. Angioplasty is indicated in cardiogenic shock and cases in which there is diagnostic uncertainty or a contraindication to thrombolysis. In addition, its superiority over thrombolysis has been clearly demonstrated in the following indications: 1) primary angioplasty if proper facilities with an experienced team are available in less than 45 minutes and 2) after failed thrombolysis (rescue angioplasty). The use of stents improves the results of primary angioplasty. Angioplasty and thrombolysis are not rival techniques: the choice depends on local conditions (proximity to a catheterization laboratory with a trained medical team) and the clinical context (presence of "high-risk" criteria). Their association (prehospital thrombolysis followed by immediate angioplasty) is the object of prospective clinical trials.