Supported Angioplasty: A New Contribution for Extra-Corporeal Circulation Technology

To date there have been no fewer than seven palliative treatments for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. The expanding role of interventional cardiology in the treatment of patients with severe coronary artery disease will result in a mandatory and significant allocation of perfusion services dedicated to the catheterization laboratory. Historical, and now more recent data, indicate that femoro-femoral bypass can be utilized as a resuscitative tool and as an adjunct to interventional cardiology techniques. The role of the perfusion team in the catheterization lab will evolve and expand along with the growing application of interventional cardiology techniques.