Novel coronary interventional devices: an update.

Interventional cardiologists today are overwhelmed by a hugh array of new high technology investigatory devices at their disposal for the treatment of coronary arterial obstructive disease. These include the various atherectomy and laser devices, developed and introduced into clinical practice with the promise and intent of solving the limitations of conventional balloon angioplasty, namely those of acute closure and restenosis. But as more experience and data are obtained from the application of these devices, it is becoming clear that the latter have generally not been able to accomplish what they were intended to do. Although the immediate success rates have been uniformly high, acute closure has persisted and restenosis remains unabated. Nevertheless, some of these new devices have shown some fairly encouraging results in specific clinical circumstances. The targeted use of these instruments may prove to be a step in the right direction. This article reviews the current state of the art and the potential utility of certain of these devices.