[Rotation angioplasty--a new procedure for reopening and dilating blood vessels. Experimental findings].

16 fresh postmortem specimens of human femoral and popliteal arteries with severe atherosclerosis were removed and angiography was performed. Eight vessels were completely occluded and eight showed stenoses of up to 60%. All occluded vessels were heavily calcified. The duration of occlusion, estimated according to the patient's history, ranged from 1 to 2 years. In one case, a duration of 18 months was documented by angiography. The lengths of the occlusions were between 5 and 12 cm. A rotating catheter was introduced through a 9F guiding catheter. All stenosed vessels were passed and seven out of eight occluded vessels, in which passage was not possible using conventional wires, were successfully reopened at low speed rotation of 200 rpm. Angiography, as well as histology, showed no perforation, and angioscopy revealed a smooth surface of the new channel. In three vessels this new channel was dilated with a balloon catheter and in one with an elastic element under rotation. It is concluded that with the new technique it is possible to reopen totally occluded human arteries which cannot be passed by conventional methods.