Early restoration of below-the-knee (BTK) arterial flow is essential for tissue recovery in diabetic foot disease. A study published in Annals of Vascular Surgery found that excimer laser atherectomy followed by drug-coated balloon percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (DCB-PTA) improved clinical outcomes compared with DCB-PTA alone.

The prospective cohort enrolled 138 adults with diabetic foot and BTK arterial lesions undergoing endovascular revascularization. Participants were assigned to receive CIT using excimer laser atherectomy plus DCB-PTA or DCB-PTA alone. Follow-up continued for 12 months, assessing vessel patency and wound recovery outcomes.

Primary patency was significantly higher with CIT (74.10%) compared with DCB-PTA alone (56.30%, p=0.031). Repeat revascularization was less frequent in the CIT group (8.60% vs 28.70%, p=0.004). The primary wound healing rate reached 89.70% in the CIT group compared with 68.80% in controls (p=0.004). Median wound healing time was shorter with CIT, at 82.00 days versus 128.00 days (p<0.001).

These findings indicate that CIT improved vascular durability and wound recovery in patients with diabetic foot and BTK arterial disease.