Clinical experience of laser angioplasty with angioscopic guidance

Since 1986, intraoperative angioscopic observations have been followed by the study of laser angioplasty experimentally and clinically. The healing process of the lased arterial wall initially was evaluated angioscopically in the canine model. The lased area was observed as a crater covered with char soon after laser irradiation. One week after laser irradiation, subintimal bleeding around the crater and a small fresh thrombus on the crater were seen in some cases. Four weeks after laser irradiation, the crater was covered with new endothelium. In this experimental study angioscopy provides information which cannot be obtained by other means.