| Abstrakt: |
From September, 1987, to September, 1988, 132 laser endarterectomies with or without balloon angioplasty were performed on 113 patients who presented with lower limb occlusive disease. Overall success rate as determined by intra-operative angiogram and Doppler measurements signifying a patent lumen was 80% (106 laser-assisted procedures). In 26 procedures (20%), laser-assisted balloon angioplasty was unsuccessful. Complications associated with 132 laser thromboendarterectomies were arterial spasm (9.1%), perforation requiring surgery (3.0%), and thrombosis in the first forty-eight hours (1.5%) following the procedure. There was no limb loss, stroke, myocardial infarction, or death associated with this procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
