title: Initial experience in the treatment of chronic superficial femoral artery occlusions with fiberoptic guidance technology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although procedural success rates for treating chronic occlusions are relatively high, dissections and perforations often require stenting.
  
  
  METHODS
  A fiberoptic guidance system that visualizes lesion characteristics and incorporates a radiofrequency energy source to aid in crossing total occlusions was used in three men and one woman with superficial femoral artery lesions that were 8-50 cm long and 5-144 months old.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five lesions were attempted and successfully crossed, and there were no observed dissections or perforations. Ankle-brachial indexes returned to normal in two of the four patients. The guidance system was useful in visualizing and treating chronic total femoral occlusions.
authors.affiliation: Director of Research, Interventional Cardiology, Phoenix Heart Center, 500 West Thomas Road, Suite 900, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Romas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kirvaitis
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heuser
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome