[Excimer laser assisted angioplasty. Immediate results in the treatment of complex coronary lesions].

Transluminal coronary angioplasty (TCA) with pulsed excimer laser (CVX 300 Spectranetics) was performed in 89 patients (age 63.7 years); CCS I: 6; CCS II: 12; CCS III: 40; CCS IV: 31; instable: 58%. There was a previous history of myocardial infarction (MI) in 27 cases, TCA (9 restenoses) in 24 cases, 19 bypass graft procedures, 13 failures of TCA.

[Value of the combined Lastac laser-angioplasty technic in symptomatic superficial femoral occlusion].

The results of peripheral transluminal angioplasty are satisfactory in stenotic arteries but those observed in the recanalisation of occluded peripheral arteries are not so good. There would therefore seem to be a good therapeutic opportunity for laser between angioplasty and surgery for patients with symptomatic arterial occlusion. The authors report their experience with the Lastac laser in 12 patients with symptomatic superficial femoral arterial occlusion.

[Transluminal coronary angioplasty using a percutaneous axillary route with an arterial sheath].

Out of 1400 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties (PTCA), 23 (1.6 p. 100) were performed by the left percutaneous axillary approach because the bifemoral approach could not be used.

[Intracavitary extraction of fragments of intracardiac catheters using a pigtail catheter. Apropos of 14 operations].

Endocavitary extraction of intracardiac fragments of intravenous catheters was attempted in 14 patients over a 7 year period. The fragments were recovered in 13 cases under local anaesthesia without complications. The average duration of the procedure was less than 15 minutes.