Spectranetics: Laser angioplasty trial showed limb salvage rate of 93%

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Feb. 8 - Spectranetics Corp. said Wednesday that results of the LACI, or Laser Angioplasty for Critical Limb Ischemia, clinical trial results showed the efficacy of laser-assisted angioplasty for patients with very severe peripheral arterial disease and an excelled limb salvage rate of 93%.

The results of the trial were published in the current issue of the Journal of Endovascular Therapy, a peer-reviewed medical journal, according to a company news release.

The objective of the trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of excimer laser angioplasty in critical limb ischemia patients with complex blockages in their legs.

The study population included only those patients who were determined to be poor or non-surgical candidates. As a result, these patients were at high risk for limb loss.

The primary endpoint of the trial was limb salvage, or avoidance of a major amputation above the level of the ankle, among surviving patients at six months following the initial laser treatment, officials said.

"The LACI trial is a landmark trial which demonstrates the efficacy of laser-assisted angioplasty for patients with very severe peripheral arterial disease who are at risk for amputation. There was an excellent limb salvage rate of 93% in this series of patients who were otherwise poor candidates for surgery due to their extensive arterial disease and comorbidities," principal investigator John R. Laird of the Washington Hospital Center said in the release.

Spectranetics is a Colorado Springs, Colo., medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets single-use medical devices used in minimally invasive surgical procedures within the cardiovascular system in conjunction with its proprietary excimer laser system.

© 2015 Prospect News.
All content on this website is protected by copyright law in the U.S. and elsewhere. For the use of the person downloading only.
Redistribution and copying are prohibited by law without written permission in advance from Prospect News.
Redistribution or copying includes e-mailing, printing multiple copies or any other form of reproduction.