Use of laser energy to treat central pulmonary emboli: a preliminary report.
We evaluated the ability and safety of a laser fiber placed percutaneously into a pig's lobar pulmonary artery to lyse pulmonary artery blood clots that were created in situ. We developed a model to create blood clots in situ that could be placed in any desired location with a radio-opaque marker at the clot position. An excimer laser delivered energy to a flexible 600 microns fiber in three experiments and a coaxial 1.6 mm multifiber catheter in the last experiment. Pre- and postprocedure angiograms obtained from each experiment demonstrated that partial laser dissolution of central pulmonary emboli in four pigs was accomplished successfully. To avoid perforation, it is imperative that the laser fiber remain coaxial during the entire lasing process. These results suggest that laser dissolution may become an adjunctive procedure for the treatment of central pulmonary emboli in those patients who cannot be treated medically.
Silverman
J M
JM
Department of Radiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90048.
Julien
P J
PJ
Adler
L
L
Fishbein
M C
MC
D000818:Animals; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D053685:Laser Therapy; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D013552:Swine