Laser therapy in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Percutaneous laser angioplasty has now become a clinical reality, consisting chiefly of applications of thermal angioplasty in conjunction with balloon angioplasty for the recanalization of peripheral vascular obstructions. In conjunction with this development, various aspects of laser-tissue interactions, fibreoptic transmission and delivery catheter design pertinent to the cardiovascular system have come under closer scrutiny, resulting in the emergence of both noteworthy concepts and clinical achievements.