Follow-up of Conventional Angioplasty versus Laser Thermal Angioplasty for Total Femoropopliteal Artery Occlusions: Results of a Randomized Trial

Abstract

Sixty-eight patients with 68 femoropopliteal occlusions were entered into a randomized trial of conventional guide-wire and catheter percutaneous angioplasty versus laser thermal angioplasty. Thirty-four occlusions were randomized to conventional angioplasty and 34 to laser thermal angioplasty. After successful recanalization and balloon dilation, the patients were followed up for 1 year. Follow-up consisted of obtaining measurements of the ankle-arm indexes at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. The increase in the mean resting ankle-arm index 1 year after conventional angioplasty (0.26) was greater than that after laser angioplasty (0.12). At 1-year follow-up, the cumulative success rate was 47% for patients treated with conventional angioplasty versus 39% for those treated with laser angioplasty. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference in clinical success between the two treatment groups.