Early and long-term results of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the lower abdominal aorta

Standards for the Endovascular Management of Aortic Occlusive Disease

Occlusive disease of the infrarenal aorta and aorto-iliac arteries can be safely treated by minimally invasive therapy and is now widely available. The aim of this article is to produce standards for the management of these patients using current endovascular techniques.

[Surgical management of peripheral arterial disease. Operative methods and results]

Various operative and interventional methods are available to treat patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The selection of the appropriate therapy should be made after a careful review of the patient's general condition, the morphology of the arterial occlusion, the risk of possible complications, and the likelihood of long-term success for each type of treatment. The different procedures complement one another in their technical possibilities and their risk profile The combination of surgical and interventional methods offers new therapeutic possibilities. The different surgical procedures and their long-term outcome are presented in this publication.

Long-term results of primary stent placement to treat infrarenal aortic stenosis

OBJECTIVE

To determine the safety and the long-term results of primary stent placement for localized distal aortic occlusive disease.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From July 1998 to July 2005 17 patients (14 female and 3 men, mean age 57 years (39-80)) were treated for intermittent claudication. Five of these patients underwent additional endovascular treatment of focal iliac lesions.

RESULTS

Technical success defined as residual stenosis of less than 50% or a trans-stenotic systolic pressure gradient <10% was achieved in 14 of 17 (82%) patients. Major complications included dissection at the puncture site in one patient and thrombosis of additional iliac stents in another patient. Both of these complications were successfully treated. During a mean follow-up of 27 months (range 1-86), four patients had recurrence of symptoms due to in-stent restenoses (n=2), femoral (n=1) or iliac occlusion (n=1), respectively. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, primary aortic hemodynamic patency was 83% at 3 years. Secondary aortic hemodynamic patency was 100%. The primary clinical patency was 68% at 3 years.

CONCLUSION

Primary stent placement for distal aortic stenoses is an alternative to surgical treatment because of its high patency and relatively low complication rates.

Endovascular Treatment of Isolated Atherosclerotic Stenosis of the Infrarenal Abdominal Aorta: Long-term Outcome

The purpose of this multicenter study was to assess the long-term outcome of endovascular treatment of isolated atherosclerotic stenosis of the infrarenal abdominal aorta on the basis of clinical and ultrasound examination. Clinical, ultrasound, and angiographic findings from 36 women and 50 men (mean age, 53.2 years) treated for atherosclerotic stenosis of the infrarenal abdominal aorta were reviewed. Patients had claudication in 74 cases and rest pain in 4. Seven patients presented trophic manifestations and one had blue toe syndrome. Mean preoperative systolic index was 0.71. Mean diameter reduction was 77%. Circumferential calcification was partial in 36 cases (41%) and complete in 30 cases (35%). Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was performed using the single-balloon technique in 60 cases and double-balloon technique in 26 cases. A stent was placed in 76 cases (88%) by necessity in 34% of cases (22 residual stenoses, 4 dissections). Completion angiographic findings were considered good in 82 cases (95%). The remaining four patients had residual stenosis with a diameter reduction >30%. One patient died during the immediate postoperative period from septicemia unrelated to treatment (early mortality, 1.2%). Aortic angioplasty was complicated by stent detachment from the angioplasty balloon in two patients, retroperitoneal hematoma in one, peripheral embolism in two, puncture-site hematoma in three, myocardial infarction in one, and thrombophlebitis of deep femoral artery in one patient (early morbidity, 9.3%). All patients underwent follow-up with clinical and hemodynamic evaluation (mean follow-up, 31 months). Actuarial survival at 3 years was 91%. Primary actuarial patency was 94% at 1 year, 89% at 3 years, and 77% at 5 years. Aortic restenosis occurred in seven patients and was treated by angioplasty in two, aortobifemoral bypass in four, and surveillance in one. Mean systolic index was 0.89. Statistical analysis of patency demonstrated no factor predictive of long-term complication. From the long-term follow-up findings in this study, we conclude that aortic angioplasty is a reliable minimally invasive technique for treatment of isolated atherosclerotic stenosis of the infrarenal abdominal aorta.

Endovascular treatment of occlusive lesions in the distal aorta: mid-term results in a series of 31 consecutive patients

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the early and mid-term results of endovascular treatment of occlusive lesions in the distal aorta in a consecutive series of patients. Between February 1996 and March 1999, a total of 31 patients underwent transluminal procedures for treatment of occlusive atherosclerotic lesions located at the lower end of the aorta. Thirty patients presented with intermittent claudication and one had critical ischemia. Manifestations were bilateral in 26 cases and unilateral in 5. The lesion was confined to the lower aorta in 3 patients and extended to the common iliac arteries in 19, with predominant proximal lesions of the common iliac artery occurring in 9 patients. Fourteen patients had concurrent infracrural occlusive lesions. All patients underwent exclusive endovascular treatment without any associated open surgical procedure. The three patients with isolated aortic lesions were treated by angioplasty, followed by stent placement in two cases. The 19 patients with aortobiiliac lesions were treated by bilateral common iliac artery angioplasty according to the "kissing-balloon" technique; 7 of these patients also underwent aortic angioplasty. In these 19 patients, aortic stenting was performed in 3 cases and bilateral iliac stenting in 10 cases, including 3 in association with aortic stenting. The nine patients with a proximal lesion of the common iliac arteries were treated by angioplasty, followed by bilateral stenting in three cases and unilateral stenting in three cases. The findings of this study show that the mid-term anatomical and functional results of endovascular treatment for atherosclerotic lesions of the distal aorta are satisfactory. We recommend it as the initial treatment modality.