Transluminal angioplasty in arterial disease: new developments

In recent years, non-surgical solutions to arterial disease have demonstrated high primary success rate with morbidity and mortality lower as compared to surgical procedures. Except for very long chronic occlusions most arterial lesions are accessible to transluminal techniques. The main drawbacks, however, remain acute occlusion and recurrence. Both problems are now being attacked by more sophisticated techniques including mechanical removal or vaporization of intraluminal material, and placement of mechanical intravascular supports. The largest series of the latter method is described in more detail.