Laser thermo-optical angioplasty in totally occluded peripheral arteries: immediate and short-term results.

(1) Laser thermo-optical angioplasty in totally occluded peripheral arteries permits recanalization of lesions which would have otherwise required surgical bypass procedures. (2) Technical success was accomplished more frequently in patients with shorter occlusions. The technical success range in totally occluded blood vessels is 70-80%. (3) Clinical success in the peripheral circulation requires balloon angioplasty in most cases. Laser angioplasty has yet to be evaluated as monotherapy. (4) The combination of laser and balloon angioplasty has not decreased the restenosis rate from that seen with balloon angioplasty alone. (5) Restenosis rate was not influenced by lesion length. (6) In a significant number of patients with a totally occluded vessel a surgical procedure was avoided by performance of a percutaneous therapy.