title: Sheath introducer technique for recanalizing total occlusions of the superficial femoral artery.
abstract: Symptomatic patients with total superficial femoral artery occlusions were approached with a modified Dotter technique followed by PTA and/or atherectomy. In 21 lesions studied, 7 (33%) were crossed with a conventional guide wire. Of the remaining 14 lesions (67%), 12/14 (86%) were crossed successfully using the pliable distal tip of the sheath introducer. The average angiographic lesion length crossed was 42 +/- 29 mm (range 8-109 mm). One insertion site vessel complication requiring surgical repair was seen. Although more advanced technologies have been developed to treat "wire resistant" total occlusions, the use of the introducer technique described is effective in many patients and adds no additional cost or time to the standard angioplasty procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, Klinikum Grosshadern University of Munich, FRG.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bauriedel
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: DeMaio
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Höfling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D002932:Cineangiography; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004691:Endarterectomy / Q000295:instrumentation; D019723:Endoscopes; D004867:Equipment Design; D005263:Femoral Artery; D005734:Gangrene; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin