Excimer laser coronary angioplasty.
Excimer laser angioplasty has evolved from a difficult experimental procedure to a more refined intervention with flexible catheters, well-defined indications, and consistent results for certain lesion types such as aortoostial stenosis, total occlusions, and certain saphenous vein graft lesions. This article reviews the current clinical results with excimer laser angioplasty, discusses the procedural technique and indications, and emphasizes the need for rigorous comparison of excimer laser angioplasty with alternative approaches for patients with coronary artery disease.
Ahmed
W H
WH
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
Bittl
J A
JA
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D017222:Angioplasty, Balloon, Laser-Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D003329:Coronary Vasospasm / Q000209:etiology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000293:injuries; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation