title: Value of laser-assisted angioplasty in the community hospital.
abstract: The experience with laser-assisted angioplasty at a community hospital was reviewed. One hundred twenty patients required angioplasty during a 7-month period, and in only 17-13 of whom had superficial femoral artery occlusions--was the use of lasers deemed appropriate. The success rate was 65% for laser-assisted angioplasty and 98% for balloon angioplasty. Laser-assisted angioplasty was the initial intervention in eight of the 13 superficial femoral artery occlusions. In two cases, a wire had been first advanced across the lesion, and in three cases, attempts to cross the lesion with a wire had been unsuccessful. The availability of the laser did not significantly increase the number of cases amenable to angioplasty, and at present laser angioplasty, does not seem to be cost-effective for community hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Scottsdale Memorial Hospital, AZ 85251.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hessel
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Horsley
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dickey
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery; D053685:Laser Therapy; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical