Critical limb ischemia: will atherectomy and laser-directed therapy be the answer?

Department of Vascular Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. claird@ccf.org

The interventional treatment of peripheral atherosclerotic occlusive disease is increasingly becoming accepted as an appropriate initial form of therapy. Standard methods of treatment include balloon angioplasty and stent assisted angioplasty. Laser catheters and mechanical atherectomy catheters are newer tools, which can be utilized to assist in achieving and maintaining patency in these vessels. In this report, we review the efficacy, safety, and potential advantages of these ablative devices when used for the treatment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

PMID: 16782515 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]