Between December 1986 and October 1988, 83 patients with chronic peripheral artery occlusions were treated with a new technique. In 56 patients, the superficial femoral artery was completely occluded; in 21 patients, the popliteal artery; and in six patients, the iliac artery. The length of occlusion ranged from 5 to 35 cm (mean, 12.5 cm). The duration, estimated by history, was 5-48 months (mean, 16.5 months). In seven patients, durations of 6-36 months were documented angiographically. A flexible, blunt, motor-driven rotating catheter was introduced through an 8-F sheath, and rotational angioplasty was performed at low speed (up to 200 rpm). In 49 of 60 (82%) patients in whom this new technique was used as the primary intervention, the occlusions were successfully reopened. In 23 patients in whom conventional methods had failed more than 4 weeks earlier, the success rate for rotational angioplasty was 67% (12 of 18 patients); when the time interval was less than 4 weeks, only one of five patients was treated successfully. In none of the 83 patients did a perforation occur. This new technique can reopen chronic artery occlusions with a high degree of success and without the danger of vessel-wall perforation, even after failure of conventional techniques.
Between December 1986 and January 1989, 100 patients with chronic occlusions of peripheral arteries were treated with the new technique of low speed rotational angioplasty. This uses a relatively thick, flexible and blunt catheter, which is driven by an electric motor (100 to 200 r.p.m.). The success rate in the superficial femoral and popliteal arteries of the initial intervention for occlusions less than 10 cm was 90%, for occlusions of less than 10 cm, it was 80%. Occlusions on which conventional techniques had failed were successfully recanalized in 65%. Recanalisation was also successful in seven out of 12 patients with occluded iliac arteries. There were no perforations or other serious complications. It is concluded that the new method is particularly effective and safe for recanalisation of chronic vascular occlusions and should also be considered for cases which previously could only be treated surgically.
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