1989 Volume 158 Issue 4 Pages 291-298
TAMURA, Y., YAMAZOE, M., MATSUBARA. T, IGARASHI, Y., IZUMI, T., SHIBATA, A., HAYASHI, S., TOYOSHIMA, H., SAITO, Y. and MAKINO, H. Recanalization of Experimental Thrombotic Arterial Occulusion by Radiofrequency Thermal Angioplasty: An Angioscopic Observation. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1989, 158 (4), 291-299 -The efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) angioplasty for recanalization of arterial thrombosis was assessed angioscopically in five dogs. A thrombus was induced by balloon injury of the left femoral artery. Within two hr, thrombi led to total occlusion of the artery in three dogs, subtotal occlusion in one, and about 70% obstruction in one. A metal-tipped catheter, with a tip size of 2.0mm×5.7mm, was advanced into the thrombus and RF at 13.56MHz was delivered repeatedly with gradually increased energies. The arterial lumina were recanalized or enlarged in all dogs. The thrombus surface had a shaggy appearance, and were dark (charring), or mixed dark and white in color. There were relatively large variations in the energies required; 140J in one, 200J in two and 250J in two. The present results suggest that trombotic arterial occlusion, such as acute occlusion complicating balloon angioplasty, can be treated with RF thermal angioplasty. Angioscopy provided detailed information about thrombus surfaces. The variations in required energies indicate the inability to control the thermal effect by energy settings alone. A more sophisticated method such as measurement of tip temperature will be able to overcome this difficulty.
