Laser‐assisted angioplasty of inferior vena caval obstructions: What's good for the artery is good for the vein
Lawrence I. Deckelbaum – 1 February 1989 – Three cases of hepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) obstruction (two segmental and one membranous) associated with Budd‐Chiari syndrome were successfully treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with use of an Nd‐YAG (neodymium‐yttrium, aluminum, garnet) laser. The occluded portions were canalized by advancing a ceramic‐capped delivery system and delivering intermittent laser emissions. The canal was widened by simultaneous inflation of three or four Gruentzig balloon catheters.