A method to detect rupture of the arterial wall during balloon angioplasty

摘要

Restenosis limits the long-term success rate of Percutaneous Transluminal (Coronary) Angioplasty (PT(C)A) significantly. A relation between ruptures resulting from PT(C)A and restenosis has been suggested in literature. The authors developed a method to detect arterial lesions during the balloon inflation by measuring the pressure in the balloon. They state that a sudden drop in balloon pressure indicates an arterial rupture. Their preliminary results support this hypothesis in 92% of all cases. This method can be useful when investigating the relationship between modified PT(C)A procedures and occurrence of lesions.