Angioscopy in the operating room.

Angioscopy has been used in the superficial femoral artery for many years, as well as in the control of vascular surgery procedures. It is more reliable than angiography, which often misses such features as intimal flaps, residual valves in "in situ" vein bypasses or persisting thrombus after embolectomy. As fluid irrigation allows visualization of the iliac arteries, and as smaller atraumatic fibres allow safe visualization of the tibial arteries, new fields are opened for the use of angioscopy in peripheral vascular disease. This technique has been proved to be useful: (1) as a diagnostic tool, (2) as a control device in new endovascular procedures (percutaneous angioplasty, atherectomy and stents), and (3) as a therapeutic tool (thromboembolectomy, simplification of bypass procedures). In a modern operating room, angioscopy does not replace angiography, but these two imaging techniques are complementary, as they help the surgeon to provide the patients with a less invasive vascular surgery.