ABSTRACT
The increasing recognition of the clinical importance of atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease and widespread availability of noninvasive diagnostic modalities have brought increased attention to therapeutic options. While surgery has historically been the mainstay of therapy for peripheral vascular disease, catheter-based therapies have advanced significantly in recent years. Percutaneous vascular intervention now provides patients with a less invasive, efficacious modality for the treatment of atheromatous disease over a wide spectrum of anatomical and clinical situations. Catheter-based intervention can provide symptomatic relief of claudication and has proved useful for definitive therapy in the renal, brachiocephalic, and carotid vessels.
