Laser Atherectomy For Coronary Artery Disease

Peripheral laser atherectomy uses a catheter that emits high energy light laser to unblock the artery.

Laser atherectomy for coronary artery disease.

The philips excimer laser has been associated with a 13 1 dissection. One patient died from coronary perforation directly related to elca. At one point laser atherectomy was quite popular in vein graft disease and bifurcations but over a period of years its use in the coronary arterial tree has substantially decreased. Wavelength determines absorbed scattered energy and penetration depth and longer wavelengths generally have weaker absorption.

4 absorption depth is a critical component of atherectomy because the interaction between tissue type and wavelength varies and the potential for perforation or dissection exists. We identified 58 cases of balloon failure treated with elca rotational atherectomy ra over four. 17 bader et al. During the procedure a thin flexible tube a catheter is inserted through an artery in the groin or arm and carefully guided into the coronary artery that is narrowed.

Once the tube reaches the narrowed portion of the artery a cutting device whirling blade such as rotational atherectomy or a laser beam can be used to remove the. Efficacy and safety for thrombotic lesions enrolling 328 patients at six centers in naniwa japan of which 5 5 had ctos achieved a high success rate of 92 5. Today laser atherectomy is more frequently used in peripheral arterial disease than in coronary disease.