PERIPHERAL PULSED-LASER ANGIOPLASTY - 4-Y EAR CLINICAL-EXPERIENCE

In 134 patients, 21 iliac, 91 femoropopliteal and 22 crural arterial o cclusions were treated by percutaneous laser-assisted angioplasty and in 32 patients femoropopliteal occlusions by conventional balloon angi oplasty. Laser angioplasty could be performed in 126 patients followin g initial guide wire recanalisation using 9,7 and 4.5-F multifibre cat heters, respectively. In 72 patients a 308-nm excimer laser and in 54 patients a 504-nm pulsed day laser was used. Luminal opening by laser angioplasty was obtained in 102 of 126 (81 %) procedures (9 incomplete catheter passages, 15 persistent occlusions). 95 % of iliac, 90 % of femoropopliteal and 77 % of crural recanalisations including supplemen tal balloon dilatations (n = 105) and stent implantations (n = 24) suc ceeded technically. Clinical success rates at 1 (2) years after angiop lasty were 95 % (89 %) for iliac, 66 % (63 %) for femoropopliteal and 57 % (50 %) for crural treatments. Technical and clinical results of l aser-assissted femoropopliteal recanalisations showed no significant d ifferences in comparison to the results of conventional balloon angiop lasty. The use of pulsed lasers for the treatment of peripheral arteri al occlusive disease would require further technical improvements.