Transluminal angioplasty of the iliac, femoral, and popliteal arteries.

The recently developed Grüntzig balloon dilatation catheter has facilitated the performance of transluminal angioplasty. The authors used this catheter in 35 arteries supplying the lower extremities in 27 patients. Immediate relief of symptoms (claudication and rest pain) occurred in 30 vessels (86%) in 23 patients. The procedure was well tolerated by all patients. Over 90% of initially successful dilatations were patent at 3 to 10 months.