Evaluation of a Partial Open Beam Laser Probe in Laser-Assisted Angioplasty

A partial open beam laser delivery system was evaluated in a series of 664 lower extremity laser-assisted an gioplasties performed in 349 consecu tive patients with atherosclerotic oc clusive disease. The 2.5 mm, metal- capped, fiberoptic probe featured a 2 μm central window through which 10-20% active laser light was emitted. In combination with the thermal ef fect produced by the metal tip, the partial beam probe was designed to more effectively ablate calcified ath eroma that had been resistant to the closed beam hot tip probes. In 28 (4%) angioplasties, lesions recalcitrant to the closed beam probe were treated with the partial beam delivery system. This probe opened 23 (82%) arteries without difficulty. Three of the 5 probe failures were in lengthy occlusions (> 10 cm) in the superficial femoral artery. In the other 2 lesions, the delivery system opened a channel too small for the probe's body to pass easily. The partial beam laser delivery system works satisfactorily in recana lizing many of the peripheral vessels resistant to the standard closed beam probe.