Excimer laser with adjunctive balloon angioplasty and heparin-coated self-expanding stent grafts for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery in-stent restenosis: twelve-month results from the SALVAGE study.

Objectives: The aim of the study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of treating femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis (ISR) with debulking with excimer laser followed by implantation of a VIABAHN endoprosthesis.

Background: The optimal treatment strategy for femoropopliteal ISR is unclear.

Methods: The SALVAGE study is a multicenter prospective registry involving nine US centers.

Embolic protection and platelet inhibition during renal artery stenting.

Background: Preservation of renal function is an important objective of renal artery stent procedures. Although atheroembolization can cause renal dysfunction during renal stent procedures, whether adjunctive use of embolic protection devices or glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors improves renal function is unknown.

Methods And Results: One hundred patients undergoing renal artery stenting at 7 centers were randomly assigned to an open-label embolic protection device, Angioguard, or double-blind use of a platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor, abciximab, in a 2x2 factorial design.

Perforation complicating carotid artery stenting: the use of a covered stent.

Carotid artery angioplasty and stenting has emerged as an effective strategy for the treatment of significant carotid artery stenosis. Perforation during carotid artery stenting is a very rare potential complication of the procedure. We describe a case of carotid artery perforation that occurred during postdilation of the carotid artery stent.

Renal artery stenting using gadodiamide arteriography in patients with baseline renal insufficiency.

Purpose: To investigate whether a contrast agent containing gadodiamide can reduce the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy associated with renal artery stenting in patients with preexisting renal insufficiency.

Methods: Between 1999 and 2002, gadodiamide-based arteriography was used in 20 patients (12 men; mean age 69 years) with significant baseline renal insufficiency (creatinine > or =1.7 mg/dL) undergoing renal artery stenting for > or =70% stenoses in 25 renal arteries.

Randomized comparison of rapid ambulation using radial, 4 French femoral access, or femoral access with AngioSeal closure.

Radial access and closure devices are associated with improved quality of life (QOL) after cardiac catheterization. Whether this is related to the access site or time to ambulation is unknown. Seventy-five patients undergoing cardiac catheterization were randomized to femoral 6 Fr with AngioSeal closure (F+C), femoral 4 Fr without closure, and radial (R) access.

Compliance with antihypertensive therapy after renal artery stenting.

Hypertension is an important clinical endpoint after renal artery revascularization for renal artery stenosis (RAS). Medication compliance is a critical determinant of blood pressure control. Although factors influencing compliance are known in essential hypertension, they have not been evaluated in studies investigating renal artery revascularization.