Fogarty balloon dilatation for intraoperative arterial spasm.

Abstract

to describe an intraoperative technique using a Fogarty balloon to treat arterial spasm following vascular bypass and endarterectomy. prospective case control study. twenty-two patients following femorodistal bypass surgery and one patient following carotid endarterectomy, with arterial spasm in the distal run-off on completion angiography, were treated with Fogarty balloon dilatation. Fogarty balloon catheter (Baxtertrade mark). twenty-three patients (100%) with arterial spasm were successfully treated by Fogarty balloon as demonstrated on completion angiography. No complications were seen. this simple technique removes vascular spasm rapidly and produces an excellent angiographic result.