Endovascular therapy has changed the landscape of vascular surgical practice. A major thrust into catheter-based therapy was initiated in 1999 with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of endografts for aneurysmorrhaphy. As this important technique became ubiquitous, surgeons…
History of Endoluminal Treatment The concept of endovascular therapy of atherosclerotic occlusive disease was introduced in the 1960s when Dotter performed the first transluminal angioplasty in a patient with ischemic extremities. His novel technique, however, could not reliably maintain luminal…
Historical Background The development of prosthetic grafts has extended the vascular surgeon’s ability to replace or bypass diseased arterial segments. However, the risk of infection, although small, constantly looms over a patient with an indwelling prosthetic graft, and preventive measures…