Abstract
Recently access to the coronary arteries became available to laser coronary angioplasty because of a new technique utilizes a pulsed laser source and multifiber "over-the-wire" guided catheters. Potential advantages of excimer laser revascularisation include concomitant plaque debulking and thrombus removal and facilitation of adjunct stenting. Improved catheter design and improved technique and firmer indications have led to expansion of applications for laser coronary angioplasty. These include long lesions, ostial disease, saphenous veins, chronic total occlusions, moderately calcified lesions, failed balloon angioplasty and in stent restenosis. Technical improvements are required to ablate more tissue to possibly reduce the restenosis rate. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism of side effects and to reduce the complication rate.
