Radiology, Vol 181, 515-520, Copyright © 1991 by Radiological Society of North America
Peripheral arterial obstructions: analysis of patency 1 year after laser-assisted transluminal angioplasty
LA Nordstrom, WR Castaneda-Zuniga and KB Von Seggern
Department of Cardiology, Park Nicollet Heart Center, St Louis Park, MN 55426.
Sixty-eight peripheral angioplasty procedures were augmented with direct
argon laser energy in 63 non-consecutive patients. Technical success was
achieved in 100% of femoropopliteal stenoses, 88% of femoropopliteal
occlusions (mean length, 9 cm), and 71% of occluded iliac segments (mean
length, 6 cm). In femoropopliteal arteries, the primary success rate was
83% (15 of 18) for occlusions longer than 7 cm and 92% (22 of 24) for
occlusions 7 cm or shorter (P = .63). Complications included three thermal
perforations and two emboli. The 1- year patency rate was 75% overall and
91% for femoropopliteal stenoses; iliac and femoropopliteal occlusions had
patency rates of 79% and 60%, respectively. Disease severity was predictive
of 1-year patency (85% for claudication vs 23% for limb-threatening
ischemia; P = .0003), while distal run-off and femoropopliteal lesion
length was not (P = .30 and .69, respectively). For patients with
claudication who had femoropopliteal occlusions, a 1-year patency rate of
84% was obtained in short lesions versus 68% in long lesions (P = .36). For
patients with limb-threatening ischemia, similar stratifications yielded
patency rates of 21% and 33% (P = .38).
