ANGIOSCOPY IN THE OPERATING-ROOM

Angioscopy has been used in the superficial femoral artery for many ye ars, as well as in the control of vascular surgery procedures. It is m ore reliable than angiography, which often misses such features as int imal flaps, residual valves in ''in situ'' vein bypasses or persisting thrombus after embolectomy. As fluid irrigation allows visualization of the iliac arteries, and as smaller atraumatic fibres allow safe vis ualization of the tibial arteries, new fields are opened for the use o f angioscopy in peripheral vascular disease. This technique has been p roved to be useful: (1) as a diagnostic tool, (2) as a control device in new endovascular procedures (percutaneous angioplasty, atherectomy and stents), and (3) as a therapeutic tool (thromboembolectomy, simpli fication of bypass procedures). In a modern operating room, angioscopy does not replace angiography, but these two imaging techniques are co mplementary, as they help the surgeon to provide the patients with a l ess invasive vascular surgery.