Transluminal angioplasty: adjunct or gimmick?

An experience with transluminal dilatation using the Gruntzig catheter in 94 patients during the past 2 years with follow-up studies of 1 month to 2 years has provided certain guidelines for applying this technique to the management of peripheral vascular atherosclerosis. While the immediate success rate for the use of transluminal dilatation as a method of improving blood flow is encouraging, further studies are necessary to determine the mechanism of healing and the duration of patency and compare them with present vascular reconstructive procedures. A cooperative effort between surgeons and their non-surgical colleagues is necessary for optimal assessment and use of this technique.