Catheter atherectomy: functional results in peripheral arterial disease.

In 10 patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) atherectomy was performed with the Simpson atherectomy catheter. PAD was diagnosed by clinical evaluation, oxzillography, Doppler ultrasound examination, treadmill walking, and angiography. Eight patients belonged to stage II and 2 to stage IV. Two stenoses were located in the iliac artery, and the others in the superficial femoral artery or popliteal artery or both. The treadmill walking distance before the intervention ranged from 24 to 67 m before and 105 to 115 m after the procedure (speed 2 mph; gradient 12.5%). After atherectomy, the walking distance improved by 35% to 126%. No patient in stage II perceived pain. In these patients treadmill exercise was terminated because of dyspnea. The ankle/arm ratio (Doppler ultrasound) ranged from 0.4 to 1.0 before atherectomy with a mean improvement of 0.15 afterward (stages II and IV). Control angiography within three to six months in 4 patients did not reveal any significant change at the site of the original stenosis.