Improved balloon catheters for large-vessel and valvular angioplasty

Since the development of balloon dilatation catheters, angioplasty has become widely used to open occluded or stenotic vessels. Recently we have expanded the application of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty to include dilatation of restenosis at the site of coarctation repair and pulmonary valvular stenosis in children. The development of large polyethylene balloons with rapid deflation times was valuable in treating these patients and may replace the previously described 'kissing balloons' technique for dilating abdominal aortic stenosis.