title: [Excimer laser coronary angioplasty in high-grade stenoses and chronic occlusion].
abstract: Excimer-laser-angioplasty offers the advantage of minimal thermal injury to adjacent tissue compared to other laser ablation techniques. Highly flexible glass-fiber-catheter systems are now available, and are capable of transmitting sufficient energy densities to ablate even calcified atherosclerotic coronary plaques. We report initial results of excimer-laser-ablation of severe coronary stenoses and occlusions in 17 patients. An excimer-laser (308 nm) with a pulse duration of 50 ns and a repetition rate of 10 to 40 Hz served as laser source. Eight patients had a chronic total occlusion (RCA, n = 4, RCx, n = 3, LAD, n = 1), nine patients had 90% to 95% stenoses (LAD, n = 7, RCA, n = 2). In all cases a laser-catheter consisting of 17 circumferentially orientated 100 microns glass-fibers and a central 15/1000-inch lumen could be advanced to the stenoses/occlusion over a guidewire that had been passed across the stenoses/occlusion. Stenoses diameter could be reduced by 41.5 +/- 10.1% in all patients and vessel lumen was further increased by subsequent balloon dilatation in 10 cases. After 24 h, 16 vessels were patent and showed no restenoses; one recanalized RCA was found reoccluded. We observed no complications, such as perforation, spasm, or thrombi.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Kardiologie und Pulmonologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buchwald
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Unterberg
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Voth
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Figulla
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wiegand
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence
vernacular_title: Excimer-Laser-Koronarangioplastie hochgradiger Stenosen und chronischer Okklusionen.