Harnessing light energy in the form of lasers became possible after the discovery of electricity. Scientists found various uses for lasers beginning in the 1960s. Creating large amounts of pulsed UV light with any device, including a laser, remained difficult until excimer lasers were invented in the following decade. The invention of excimer lasers coincided with the advent of balloon angioplasty, leading physicians to speculate about using laser energy to obliterate obstructing arterial lesions. The first report of laser energy to vaporize an atherosclerotic plaque appeared in 1980. The ensuing decades witnessed dramatic refinements of laser fibers, laser energy sources, and catheter delivery systems. The favorable results achieved with excimer laser angioplasty in the early 2000s led to a renewed interest in this technology and to the current widespread use of these devices to treat peripheral as well as coronary artery disease. This paper provides a review of laser energy principles, traces the history of the use of lasers to treat vascular disease, and reviews the current literature pertaining to laser angioplasty and limb salvage.
