Exhimer Laser Angioplasty of Peripheral Arteries

By Amin H. Karim MD

Interventional friends; here is a piece of history. The year is 1989 ( 34 years ago). Excimer ( short for excited dimer) was approved for peripherals and later coronary use; we, in Houston, were one of the first to try it out after attending a laser safety course. Above is an angioplasty on a CTO of femoral artery. The probe went in ( without wire) like a “knife through butter” followed by wire and balloon ( stents had not been invented yet) of course as expected there was thermal damage to intima and reactive fibrosis and Re stenosis. But did have impact on patient psyche of having “ cutting edge” procedure ( no pun intended).