Update on PTCA: what are its limitations? Can they be overcome by new devices? A look at atherectomy, intra-arterial stents, and laser catheters.

Complications limiting the use of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) include abrupt vessel closure and restenosis. Certain coronary lesions, such as chronic total occlusions and diffuse or long stenoses, pose serious technical difficulties. New devices may overcome some of these limitations. For example, atherectomy may prove useful for thrombotic vessels or diffusely diseased vein grafts, and it may lower restenosis rates in larger vessels. Stents are currently used as a bailout measure when acute dissection occurs. Although lasers produce smoother margins than does conventional PTCA and effectively ablate atherosclerotic plaque material, the restenosis rate associated with use of these devices may be similar to that of conventional PTCA.