[Catheter treatment of arterial occlusive disease of supraaortic vessels].

Catheter dilatation can be applied in occlusive vascular disease affecting the proximal and distal subclavian, vertebral, and innominate arteries and common internal and external carotid arteries. The treatment of 102 patients is reported to demonstrate the efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in this vascular region with a technical success rate of more than 90% and a patency rate of 75% after a follow-up of more than 3 years. The complication rate is low, transient ischemic attacks having occurred in only 2 of these cases.