The Role of Lasers in the Management of Peripheral Vascular Disease

Abstract

Although it has been almost twenty-five years since the first studies of McGuff et al, who employed the laser for atheroablation, problems still require resolution. The various laser wavelengths from ultraviolet through visible to in frared have been employed for athero ablation. The laser's greatest appeal and the most spectacular results have been in reopening channels in totally occluded vessels. The laser's greatest problem has been damage of the arte rial wall and even perforation. The purpose of this presentation is to clarify the present status of avail able lasers for the treatment of pe ripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities. To this end, the initial experience with angioscopically guided laser-assisted angioplasty with a new hybrid laser probe is reported.