Percutaneous excimer laser coronary angioplasty: results of one center in a multi-center investigation.
A retrospective analysis of data accumulated over a 21-month period, from December 1989 to September 1991, regarding investigational use of a 308 nanometer Xenon Chloride Excimer Laser Coronary Angioplasty (ELCA) system (Advanced Interventional Systems, Inc., Irvine, CA) was performed.  It included a cohort of 131 persons with coronary artery disease who underwent 158 laser angioplasty procedures for attempted treatment of a total of 206 atherosclerotic lesions.  Approximately 17% of the lesions treated with ELCA were chronic occlusions, 20% were diffuse lesions greater than 20 mm in length and 30% of the initial ELCA lesions were restenoses of previous balloon-treated sites.  Our initial results with ELCA demonstrate similar rates of success, complication, mortality, and restenosis when compared with the larger historical experience with standard coronary balloon technique.  In selected subgroups, such as chronically occluded coronary lesions, the acute success rate when using ELCA appears superior to published success rates when similar lesions have been treated with conventional technology.
Cummins
F E
FE
St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53215.
Nonnweiler
J M
JM
Ninneman
R W
RW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods*; D016342:Angioplasty, Laser / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies