title: Femoropopliteal arterial occlusions: laser-assisted versus conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.
abstract: Recanalization of 75 femoropopliteal arterial occlusions was attempted with either conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (n = 28; mean occlusion length, 5.5 cm) or percutaneous laser-assisted angioplasty (PLA) (n = 47; mean occlusion length, 11.6 cm). Conventional recanalization was technically successful in 21 patients (mean occlusion length, 4.4 cm +/- 3.9) and was a technical failure in seven (mean occlusion length, 8.7 cm +/- 6.2). The technical outcome was a function of the length of the occlusion (P = .04). The PLA procedure, performed with a laser with a sapphire probe, was a technical success in 32 patients (mean length, 10.7 cm +/- 6.5) and a technical failure in 15 (mean length, 13.6 cm +/- 8.2). With PLA, the length of the occlusion did not determine the technical (P = .20) or clinical (P = .12) outcome. In patients with gangrene, PLA of occlusions longer than 5 cm failed clinically (P = .02). This PLA method appeared to be safe and allowed passage through occlusions longer than 10 cm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Vascular Center of the Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Odink
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: de Valois
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Eikelboom
mesh_terms: D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000009:adverse effects; D016342:Angioplasty, Laser / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011150:Popliteal Artery; D011446:Prospective Studies