Fj. Criado et al., THE ROLE OF ENDOVASCULAR THERAPY IN LOWER-EXTREMITY REVASCULARIZATION- LESSONS LEARNED AND CURRENT STRATEGIES, International angiology, 12(3), 1993, pp. 221-230
Percutaneous endovascular therapy has emerged as an important modality
in the treatment of lower extremity ischemia. Its role is relatively
small but better defined at present. Balloon angioplasty remains as th
e most useful and versatile of all catheter interventions. Common ilia
c artery lesions, if short and stenotic, are best managed with angiopl
asty. Percutaneous therapy of femoral-popliteal lesions is less satisf
actory but applicable in a small subset of patients with favorable les
ions. Intravascular stents and thrombolysis are viewed as major develo
pments in the field. Critically ischemic limbs are seldom amenable to
endovascular recanalization. The subspecialty of endovascular therapy
should become increasingly the focus of attention by the contemporary
vascular surgeon. Catheter technology is destined to influence profoun
dly current strategies and techniques in the treatment of vascular dis
eases.