High-speed rotational ablation (Rotablator) for unfavorable lesions in peripheral arteries

A strategy of using a single, conservatively sized percutaneous transluminal rotational ablation device with or without adjunctive balloon angioplasty was employed in 18 vessels in 17 patients selected because of unfavorable lesion morphology for balloon angioplasty alone. Fifteen patients had lower extremity occlusions and/or heavily calcified lesions and two patients had ostial renal artery stenoses. We were able to achieve a 94% (17/18 lesions) technical success rate, and a 94% (16/17 patients) clinical success rate. In the patients with lower extremity lesions, the baseline ankle-brachial blood pressure index increased from 0.55 +/- 0.15 to 0.90 +/- 0.19 (p < .001) 1 day after the procedure. Follow-up at 6.8 +/- 2.8 months revealed clinical evidence of restenosis in only one patient. We conclude that a cost-effective strategy of treating unfavorable lesions with a single Rotablator burr and adjunctive balloon angioplasty is safe and effective.