Endovascular superficial femoral artery treatment: can it be as good as bypass?

Health-related quality of life after vascular surgery and endovascular treatment in subjects with critical limb ischemia

Background & Objective:

Revascularization of the target vessel and restoration of distal flow is critical not only to reduce mortality and morbidity but also improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with critical limb ischemia. However, data concerning the impact of surgical bypass and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) on HRQoL is limited. This study aimed to compare the impact of surgical bypass and PTA on HRQoL in subjects undergoing superficial femoral artery (SFA) or popliteal artery revascularization.

Methods:

Seventy-one subjects who underwent successful revascularization of the SFA or popliteal artery either with surgical revascularization or PTA were enrolled in this study. Three months after revascularization, all subjects underwent ankle-brachial index (ABI) measurement, 6-minute walking test and completed the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) questionnaire. The NHP score differences (measured at the post-procedural 3^rd month) between subjects undergoing surgical or endovascular (PTA) revascularization subjects was the primary outcome measure of the study.

Results:

Both groups experienced significant improvements in ABI and 6-minute walking distance at post-procedure three months. NHP total scores of Part I and Part II at post-procedural six months were similar in the two groups. However, social isolation [77.98 (0 - 85) vs. 22.53 (0 - 100), p=0.002] and physical abilities [78.7 (30.31 - 87.7) vs. 54.47 (0 - 100), P=0.014] domain scores of the surgical revascularization group were significantly higher than that of the endovascular treatment group.

Conclusion:

This study shows that total scores obtained from the NHP questionnaire applied three months after revascularization of SFA stenosis are similar in subjects undergoing surgical revascularization or PTA. However, the social isolation and physical abilities domains of the NHP are significantly higher in subjects receiving surgical revascularization compared to those receiving PTA.

Drug-coated balloons vs. drug-eluting stents for treatment of long femoropopliteal lesions

PURPOSE

To compare the performance of drug-coated balloons (DCB) and drug-eluting stents (DES) in long femoropopliteal lesions.

METHODS

A retrospective dual center study included 228 patients (139 men; median age 69 years) with femoropopliteal lesions ≥10 cm suffering from peripheral artery disease (Rutherford categories 1-5) treated either with DCB or DES. Propensity score stratification was used to minimize bias. The 131 DCB patients (77 men; mean age 68.9±10.5 years) had a mean lesion length of 194.4±86.3 mm (range 100-450), while the 97 DES patients (62 men; mean age 68.2±8.0 years) had lesions averaging 195.0±64.5 mm (range 100-350) in length. Restenotic lesions were treated in 68 (51.9%) DCB patients and 43 (44.3%) DES patients; over half the lesions in both groups were total occlusions [DCB: 69 (52.7%), DES: 61 (62.9%)]. Outcome measures were patency (peak systolic velocity ratio <2.4), clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR), event-free survival, and freedom from worsening of Rutherford classification by ≥2 categories.

RESULTS

In the DCB cohort, provisional stent placement was performed in 24 (18.3%) lesions for refractory stenosis (5, 3.8%), flow-limiting dissection (13, 9.9%), and other reasons (6, 4.6%). There was no procedure-related mortality in either cohort. The binary restenosis rates were 23.9% (26/109) and 30.4% (24/79, p=0.319) in the DCB and DES cohorts, respectively, and clinically driven TLR rates were 15.6% (17/109) vs. 19.0% (15/79, p=0.543), respectively. Estimates for freedom from clinically driven TLR and event-free survival were not different between the study cohorts nor were outcomes regarding the ankle-brachial index and Rutherford category.

CONCLUSION

DCB and DES perform equally well in the endovascular treatment of femoropopliteal lesions ≥10 cm and better than traditional endovascular treatment. In a real world setting of TASC C and D lesions, the provisional stent rate in the DCB cohort is low.

Comparison of above-the-knee prosthetic femoro-popliteal bypass versus percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting for treatment of occlusive superficial femoral artery disease

Background and Aims:

Treatment of occlusive femoro-popliteal artery disease has changed during the last decade because of intensive development of endovascular technology. The aim of this study was to evaluate patient treated endovascularly or surgically for femoro-popliteal atherosclerotic lesions and to assess perioperative and mid-term outcome.

Material and Methods:

This is a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients who had undergone prosthetic above-the-knee femoro-popliteal bypass or percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting of superficial femoral artery stenosis or occlusion at Tampere University Hospital, Finland, between January 2007 and December 2009. Patients who were alive were re-evaluated in 2010. Primary and secondary patency and outcomes were assessed.

Results:

A total of 131 patients were treated; surgically 63 patients (69 procedures) and endovascularly 68 patients (74 procedures). The mean follow-up time was 17 months (SD ± 13 months). In the late follow-up visit, 8 (18%) patients in the bypass group suffered from claudication and 9 (20%) from critical limb ischemia. The corresponding figures for the endovascular group were 20 (36%) and 8 (20%), respectively. The primary patency was 60% at 2 years in the bypass group and 73% in the endovascular group (p = 0.092); the primary assisted patency was 62% versus 76%, respectively (p = 0.068). The secondary patency was 74% in the bypass group versus 79% in the endovascular group (p = 0.487).

Conclusions:

According to current results following TASC II guideline, satisfied overall mid-term results can be achieved in the treatment of superficial femoral artery atherosclerotic disease.