The Current Status of Lithoplasty in Vascular Calcifications: A Systematic Review:

Background. Lithoplasty is a method of alleviating vessel stenosis by using localized high-speed pressure waves to disrupt calcium deposits. A systematic review of the literature was performed to summarize the early outcomes of lithoplasty in peripheral and coronary artery disease. Methods. We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from database inception to July 2018 for original studies describing the use of lithoplasty. Study selection and data extraction were performed in duplicate, with a third author resolving discrepancies. Results. A total of 9 records were included from the 201 studies eligible for screening. In total, 211 patients with vascular calcification lesions underwent lithoplasty. The patients on average had an age of 73.2 years and had a maximum follow-up period of 5.5 months. Most lesions (72%, 152/212) were in peripheral artery beds, with the remainder occurring in coronary vessels. Lesioned vessels typically had severe calcium burden 62.6% (1...