Regional isolation-perfusion: an experimental percutaneous approach tested and compared with arterial occlusion-infusion.

A percutaneous approach was developed for the performance of regional isolation-perfusion, a surgical chemotherapeutic procedure for the intraarterial treatment of neoplasms. This technique was compared with percutaneous transcatheter arterial occlusion-infusion concerning local and systemic drug levels. Floxuridine (FUDR) was administered into a femoral artery of adult mongrel dogs, first by arterial occlusion-infusion, and 4 weeks later by regional isolation-perfusion of the opposite hind limb. Local and systemic plasma samples and local muscle specimens were collected for determination of FUDR levels. Results indicated not only that regional isolation-perfusion could be accomplished percutaneously, using balloon catheters, but also that the technique produced significantly greater local tissue FUDR levels (P less than 0.05) than those achieved with arterial occlusion-infusion.