Biomimetic Stents for Infrainguinal Peripheral Arterial Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Biomimetic stents are peripheral infrainguinal self expanding stents that mimic the anatomy of the vasculature and artery movement. They are indicated for use in infrainguinal arteries. This research aimed to synthesise all current evidence on the use of biomimetic stents as adjuncts for endovascular treatment of infrainguinal peripheral arterial disease (PAD), helping to guide clinical decision making.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane databases.

REVIEW METHODS

Random effects meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO registration CRD42022385256). Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools checklist, and certainty assessment through the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Endpoints included primary patency, target lesion revascularisation, stent fracture, secondary patency, and Death at one year.

RESULTS

In total, 37 studies were included in the meta-analysis (33 cohort studies, two case series, and two randomised controlled trials [RCTs]), representing 4 480 participants. Of these, 34 studies included data on the Supera (81.5% of participants) and three studies reported data on the BioMimics 3D (18.5% of participants) stents. The pooled primary patency rate of 33 studies at one year follow up was 81.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 78.7 - 83.9%), and the pooled target lesion revascularisation rate of 18 studies at one year was 12.2% (95% CI 9.6 - 15.0%). The certainty of evidence outcome rating as qualified by GRADE was very low for both. Only one study reported a positive stent fracture rate at one year follow up of 0.4% with a certainty of evidence outcome of low.

CONCLUSION

Using biomimetic stents for infrainguinal PAD may be associated with acceptable one year primary patency and target lesion revascularisation rates, with a near negligible one year stent fracture rate. Their use should be considered in those presenting with infrainguinal PAD undergoing endovascular revascularisation. A RCT is necessary to determine their clinical and cost effectiveness.

Mortality, Safety, and Effectiveness of Paclitaxel-Containing Balloons and Stents in the Femoropopliteal Artery: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials since 2018

PURPOSE

To provide an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of safety and effectiveness outcomes with paclitaxel-containing devices.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating paclitaxel-containing balloons or stents in the treatment of femoropopliteal disease was performed. Pooled risk ratio (RR) was calculated using the inverse-variance, random-effects model in the assessment of primary patency, all-cause mortality, target limb major amputation, target lesion revascularization (TLR), and thrombosis.

RESULTS

In total, 19 RCTs were included comprising 4,284 participants. All-cause mortality rates did not differ significantly between the 2 arms at 12 months (RR, 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-1.72; P = .80), 24 months (RR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.56-1.50; P = .73), 36 months (RR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.65-2.25; P = .55), or 48-60 months (RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.66-1.39; P = .81) after intervention. Primary patency was significantly higher at 12 months in the paclitaxel-containing arm: 80.92% (1,438/1,777) versus 57.48% (607/1,056) in the control arm (RR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.30-1.59; P < .00001).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrates no statistically significant difference in all-cause mortality, target limb major amputation, or thrombosis with paclitaxel drug-eluting therapy to the femoropopliteal region. Additionally, improved and durable patency rates with a statistically significantly lower risk of clinically driven TLR with paclitaxel drug-eluting therapy have been demonstrated.

Exploring the Reporting Standards of Randomised Controlled Trials Involving Endovascular Interventions for Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

Endovascular technology innovation requires rigorous evaluation in high quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs). However, due to numerous methodological challenges, RCTs evaluating endovascular interventions are complex and potentially difficult to design, conduct, and report. This systematic review aimed to assess the quality of reporting of RCTs for endovascular interventions for lower limb peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

DATA SOURCES AND REVIEW METHODS

A systematic review of Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases from inception to December 2021 was performed to identify RCTs including participants with PAD undergoing any infrainguinal lower limb endovascular intervention. Study data were extracted and assessed against the Consolidating Standards of Reporting Trials extension for Non-Pharmacological Treatments (CONSORT-NPT) and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklists. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise general study details and reporting standards of the trials.

RESULTS

After screening 6 567 abstracts and 526 full text articles, 112 eligible studies were identified, reporting on 228 different endovascular devices and techniques. Details judged sufficient to replicate the investigated intervention were provided for 47 (21%) interventions. It was unclear whether the description was reported with sufficient details in a further 56 (24%), and the description was judged inadequate in 125 (55%). Any intervention descriptions were provided for 184 (81%), with variable levels of detail (some in 134 [59%] and precise in 50 [22%]). Standardisation of intervention or some aspect of this was reported in 25 (22%) trials, but only one specified that adherence to the study protocol would be monitored.

CONCLUSION

The quality of the reporting standards of RCTs investigating lower limb endovascular treatments is severely limited because the interventions are poorly described, standardised, and reported. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022288214.

Endovascular revascularization strategies for aortoiliac and femoropopliteal artery disease: a meta-analysis

AIMS

Optimal endovascular management of intermittent claudication (IC) remains disputed. This systematic review and meta-analysis compares efficacy and safety outcomes for balloon angioplasty (BA), bare-metal stents (BMS), drug-coated balloons (DCB), drug-eluting stents (DES), covered stents, and atherectomy.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Electronic databases were searched for randomized, controlled trials (RCT) from inception through November 2021. Efficacy outcomes were primary patency, target-lesion revascularization (TLR), and quality-of-life (QoL). Safety endpoints were all-cause mortality and major amputation. Outcomes were evaluated at short-term (<1 year), mid-term (1-2 years), and long-term (≥2 years) follow-up. The study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021292639). Fifty-one RCTs enrolling 8430 patients/lesions were included. In femoropopliteal disease of low-to-intermediate complexity, DCBs were associated with higher likelihood of primary patency [short-term: odds ratio (OR) 3.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.44-4.24; long-term: OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.93-3.16], lower TLR (short-term: OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.22-0.49; long-term: OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.29-0.60) and similar all-cause mortality risk, compared with BA. Primary stenting using BMS was associated with improved short-to-mid-term patency and TLR, but similar long-term efficacy compared with provisional stenting. Mid-term patency (OR 1.64, 95% CI 0.89-3.03) and TLR (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.22-1.11) estimates were comparable for DES vs. BMS. Atherectomy, used independently or adjunctively, was not associated with efficacy benefits compared with drug-coated and uncoated angioplasty, or stenting approaches. Paucity and heterogeneity of data precluded pooled analysis for aortoiliac disease and QoL endpoints.

CONCLUSION

Certain devices may provide benefits in femoropopliteal disease, but comparative data in aortoiliac arteries is lacking. Gaps in evidence quantity and quality impede identification of the optimal endovascular approach to IC.

Drug coated balloon improves outcomes of sub-optimal Supera deployment in the intermediate term

Sub-Optimal deployment of Self expanding interwoven stents (Supera) has been shown to increase the rate of Clinically Driven Target Lesion Revascularization (CD-TLR). Meanwhile, drug coated balloons (DCB) have been shown to reduce CD-TLR in the femoral-popliteal segment in de- novo and restenotic lesions. However, the clinical effects of vessel preparation with DCB in nominal, compressed, and elongated Supera has not been widely studied. The purpose of this study is to assess the outcomes of clinically driven re-intervention, major amputations, and mortality in relation to the use of DCB as vessel preparation in different deployment conditions (nominal, compressed, elongated) of the Supera stent. Patient chart data was collected at a single center hospital between March 2015 and May 2020. All patients were adults (≥ 18 years old) and were treated with at least one (≥ 1) Supera stent. Deployment status was extrapolated from anonymized angiograms. The primary endpoint of this study was CD-TLR. Secondary endpoints included amputation and mortality rates associated with each deployment condition. A total of 670 limbs were treated and patients were followed for 36 months. Nominal stent deployment was observed in 337 limbs, followed by elongated condition (n = 176), then by compressed conditions (n = 159). CD-TLR was observed most frequently with elongated deployment. Drug coated balloons were used as vessel prep prior to stenting and showed a protective effect regardless of deployment status; O.R = 0.44 (CI 0.30-0.66, p < .05).

Safety of paclitaxel-coated devices in the femoropopliteal arteries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Clinical benefit of paclitaxel-coated devices for patients with peripheral arterial disease has been confirmed in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A meta-analysis published in 2018 identified late mortality risk over a long follow-up period due to use of paclitaxel-coated devices in the femoropopliteal arteries, which caused enormous controversy and debates globally. This study aims to further evaluate the safety of paclitaxel-coated devices by incorporating the most recently published data.

Methods

We searched for candidate studies in PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, EMBASE (Ovid) online databases, government web archives and international cardiovascular conferences. Safety endpoints of interest included all-cause mortality rates at one, two and five years and the risk ratio (RR) was used as the summary measure. The primary analysis was performed using random-effects models to account for potential clinical heterogeneity.

Findings

Thirty-nine RCTs including 9164 patients were identified. At one year, the random-effects model yielded a pooled RR of 1.06 (95% CI [0.87, 1.29]) indicating no difference in short-term all-cause deaths between the paclitaxel and control groups (crude mortality, 4.3%, 214/5025 versus 4.5%, 177/3965). Two-year mortality was reported in 26 RCTs with 382 deaths out of 3788 patients (10.1%) in the paclitaxel arm and 299 out of 2955 patients (10.1%) in the control arm and no association was found between increased risk of death and usage of paclitaxel-coated devices (RR 1.08, 95% CI [0.93, 1.25]). Eight RCTs recorded all-cause deaths up to five years and a pooled RR of 1.18 (95% CI [0.92, 1.51]) demonstrated no late mortality risk due to use of paclitaxel-coated devices (crude mortality, paclitaxel 18.2%, 247/1360 versus control 15.2%, 122/805).

Conclusions

We found no significant difference in either short- or long-term all-cause mortalities between patients receiving paclitaxel-coated and uncoated devices. Further research on the longer-term safety of paclitaxel usage (e.g., 8- or 10-year) is warranted.

Registration

PROSPERO, CRD42021246291.

Bare metal stent in the area of drug eluting devices for long femoropopliteal lesions

The advancement in the endovascular treatment and the introduction of novel techniques allowed treatment of more complex and longer femoropopliteal lesions. However, the optimal treatment modality is still a source of controversy. The use of bare metal stents (BMS) showed good results for long femoropopliteal lesions. In this review, we summarized all available data on the different treatment strategies of long femoro-popliteal lesions using BMS. Nevertheless, RCTs with head-to-head comparison between BMS strategies are still needed to have more clarification on the best strategy for the endovascular treatment of long femoropopliteal occlusive lesions.

Evaluation of safety and efficacy of the S.M.A.R.T.® Flex Vascular Stent System (OPEN study)

OBJECTIVES

The OPEN study evaluated the safety and efficacy of the S.M.A.R.T.® Flex Vascular Stent System in patients with femoropopliteal arterial disease.

BACKGROUND

Long-term data on endovascular treatments of femoropopliteal arterial disease are required to establish the repair durability.

METHODS

The OPEN study was a multicenter, single-arm, prospective study comparing primary safety and efficacy outcomes to performance goals (PG) developed for bare nitinol stents. Patients with symptoms due to a single, ≤180 mm length, de novo femoropopliteal arterial lesion with >70% stenosis were enrolled were enrolled and followed for 36 months. Subjects with lesions ≤150 mm served as the initial comparison cohort for the PG (other cohorts were analyzed if the PG was met).

RESULTS

257 subjects with lesions ≤180 mm were enrolled. The mean lesion length was 71 ± 46, and 52.5% had severe claudication. The primary safety endpoint (freedom from all-cause death, index limb amputation, and target lesion revascularization [TLR] through 30 days) was met in 98.8% (96.5%, 99.6%) of subjects in the comparison cohort, meeting the PG (88.0%). The primary efficacy endpoint (comparison cohort vessel patency at 12 months) was 68.4% (61.1%, 74.8%), where the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval did not meet the 66.0% PG. Freedom from TLR in the per-protocol cohort at 12-, 24-, 36-month was 84.7%, 74.6%, and 72.8%, respectively. The 24-month stent fracture rate was 4.3%, with no new fractures identified at 36 months.

CONCLUSION

The results show promising long-term safety and effectiveness for the S.M.A.R.T.® Flex Vascular Stent System in patients with femoropopliteal arterial disease.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of Supera interwoven nitinol stents for the treatment of infrainguinal peripheral arterial disease

INTRODUCTION

Stenting of infrainguinal lesions can be rather challenging due to the mechanical stress applied on the arteries during motion. We assessed the short-term and mid-term safety and efficacy of Supera interwoven nitinol stent for the treatment of infrainguinal arterial disease.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

We conducted a systematic review for articles published from December 2011 up to May 2021 regarding studies assessing the safety and efficacy of Supera interwoven nitinol stents for the treatment of infra-inguinal peripheral arterial disease. Studies that involved synchronous application of the Supera stent and drug delivering devices, or any alternative endoprosthesis were excluded. Pooled Kaplan-Meier survival curves and smoothed hazard estimates were generated. Data were meta-analyzed using a random effects model. Primary endpoints included primary patency and freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TRL). Secondary endpoints included technical success and major amputation at 1 year post intervention.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Seventeen studies with 2015 patients (65.3% males) and a mean lesion length of 137.2 mm were included. Of the total treated lesions, 44.9% involved femoropopliteal artery and 37.4% the popliteal artery. Chronic total occlusions made up 49% of the treated lesions. There were no stent fractures reported. The pooled technical success rate is 99.84% (95% CI: 99.26-100). Pooled major amputation rate at 1 year is 1.48% (95% CI: 0.47-2.87). Pooled primary patency and freedom from TLR rates at 1 year are 83.5% (95% CI: 80.24-86.54) and 90.32% (95% CI: 88.75-91.79), respectively. Pooling of individual patient data produced primary patency and freedom from TLR rates of 84.48% (95% CI: 82.66-86.11) and 90.81% (95% CI: 88.64-92.58) respectively. According to the smoothed hazard ratio estimate the risk for losing primary patency peaked between 4 and 5 months while the risk for TLR peaked between 7 and 8 months after the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

This review and meta-analysis indicated the safety and efficacy of Supera stents for the treatment of challenging infrainguinal lesions in the short-term and mid-term periods, with acceptable primary patency and freedom from TLR rates. Clinicians should be aware that between 4 and 5 months patients face a higher risk for event occurrence.

Editor's Choice - Risk of Major Amputation Following Application of Paclitaxel Coated Balloons in the Lower Limb Arteries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

OBJECTIVE

There have been concerns about the long term safety of paclitaxel coated devices in the lower limbs. A formal systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was performed to examine the long term risk of major amputation using paclitaxel coated balloons in peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

METHOD

This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (ID 227761). A broad bibliographic search was performed for RCTs investigating paclitaxel coated balloons in the peripheral arteries (femoropopliteal and infrapopliteal) for treatment of intermittent claudication or critical limb ischaemia (CLI). The literature search was last updated on 20 February 2021 without any restrictions on publication language, date, or status. Major amputations were analysed with time to event methods employing one and two stage models. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses, combinatorial meta-analysis, and a multivariable dose response meta-analysis to examine presence of a biological gradient were also performed.

RESULTS

In all, 21 RCTs with 3 760 lower limbs were analysed (52% intermittent claudication and 48% CLI; median follow up two years). There were 87 major amputations of 2 216 limbs in the paclitaxel arms (4.0% crude risk) compared with 41 major amputations in 1 544 limbs in the control arms (2.7% crude risk). The risk of major amputation was significantly higher for paclitaxel coated balloons with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.66 (95% CI 1.14 - 2.42; p = .008, one stage stratified Cox model). The prediction interval was 95% CI 1.10 - 2.46 (two stage model). The observed amputation risk was consistent for both femoropopliteal (p = .055) and infrapopliteal (p = .055) vessels. Number needed to harm was 35 for CLI. There was good evidence of a significant non-linear dose response relationship with accelerated risk per cumulative paclitaxel dose (chi square model p = .007). There was no evidence of publication bias (p = .80) and no significant statistical heterogeneity between studies (I2 = 0%, p = .77). Results were stable across sensitivity analyses (different models and subgroups based on anatomy and clinical indication and excluding unpublished trials). There were no influential single trials. Level of certainty in evidence was downrated from high to moderate because of sparse events in some studies.

CONCLUSION

There appears to be heightened risk of major amputation after use of paclitaxel coated balloons in the peripheral arteries. Further investigations are warranted urgently.

Endovascular treatment of femoro-popliteal disease with the Supera stent: results of a multicenter study

Background: Even though many types of stents have been tested in superficial femoral artery (SFA) and popliteal artery (PA), most of these devices have provided an unsatisfactory outcome, probably due their unsuitable anatomical and physiological characteristics. The Supera peripheral stent (Abbott Vascular, Santa Rosa, CA, USA) is a braided interwoven nitinol device specifically designed for treating atherosclerotic lesions of the femoro-popliteal segment. The aim of this multicenter retrospective study was to describe the effectiveness of Supera stents in the management of femoral-popliteal atherosclerotic lesions and to critically analyze our findings in the context of current and past literature.

Design and methods: In this study we enrolled only patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria: i) patients affected by chronic obstructive arterial disease (COAD) grade II, as per Rutherford classification; ii) patients treated with endovascular revascularization and Supera stent implantation in the femoro-popliteal axis. We retrospectively analyzed the Doppler Ultra-sound (US) follow- up at 12-24 and 36 months to detect the vascular occlusions. The primary patency, primary patency assisted and TLR were described statistically analyzed by survival analysis and the demographic data, clinical data, device safety following stenting were described as frequency and mean value.

Results: 105 endovascular procedures on 99 patients for femoro-popliteal stenting with Supera were performed in four Italian hospitals. The median follow-up was 39 months (range 6-72), with primary patency rate of 83.1%, 74.3% and 69.5% at 12, 24 and 36 months after the procedure. The primary patency assisted was 89.9%, 76.8% and 73.4% in the same period, while the freedom from TLR values were 92.7%, 91.5% and 89.5% at 12, 24 and 36 months after the procedure, respectively. The mortality rate recorded at 12 months from the Supera implantation was 2.8% (3 out of 99 patients enrolled).

Conclusions: Our data were in agreement with the current literature, showing the non-inferiority Supera stent in relation to the other stent available. Supera stent showed an excellent safety, effectiveness profile and high durability for the treatment of PAD patients with femoro-popliteal artery disease.

Benefits with drug-coated balloon as compared to a conventional revascularization strategy for the treatment of coronary and non-coronary arterial disease: a comprehensive meta-analysis of 45 randomized trials

BACKGROUND

Drug-coated balloons (DCB) have shown promising results for the percutaneous treatment of de novo and restenotic lesions, involving both the coronary and femoropopliteal district. However, clinical outcomes data associated with the use of this devices are still unclear, with potential warnings on increased mortality being raised from initial studies. We aimed at performing an updated and comprehensive meta-analysis comparing DCB with conventional percutaneous revascularization strategies for the treatment of coronary (CAD) or peripheral artery disease (PAD).

METHODS

Literature and main scientific session abstracts were searched for studies comparing DCB vs a standard percutaneous revascularization strategy, with or without stenting, for the treatment of CAD and PAD. The primary efficacy endpoint was mortality. Secondary endpoints were recurrent acute ischemic events (myocardial infarction or amputation) or target lesion revascularization (TLR).

RESULTS

We included 45 randomized trials, (CAD: 27 studies, PAD: 18 studies) with an overall population of 7718 patients, (56.4%) randomized to a DCB strategy. At a mean follow-up of19.3 ± 15.2 months, death occurred in 5.8% of the patients, with no significant difference between DCB or conventionally treated patients (5.9% vs 5.7%, OR[95%CI] = 0.89[0.71,1.11], p = 0.31; phet = 0.43). We observed a non-significant reduction in recurrent acute ischemic events, whereas the use of DCB significantly reduced the rate of TLR, with larger benefits observed in patients with PAD and respect to balloon-only angioplasty, while being lower in comparison with stent implantation. No significant interaction was observed with de novo lesions or in-stent restenosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the current meta-analysis, the use of drug-coated balloons for the percutaneous treatment of CAD and PAD is associated to a comparable risk of mortality and recurrent acute ischemic events as compared to a conventional revascularization strategy, although offering larger benefits in terms of TLR, especially when compared with balloon-only angioplasty and in femoropopliteal disease.

Combining the Passeo-18 Lux Drug-Coated Balloon and the Pulsar-18 Bare Metal Stent: 12- and 24-Month Outcomes of the BIOLUX 4EVER Investigator-Initiated Trial

PURPOSE

To report the outcomes after treating stenotic or occluded femoropopliteal lesions with a drug-coated balloon (DCB) followed by the implantation of a thin-strut self-expanding bare metal stent in the BIOLUX 4EVER trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02211664).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The prospective, multicenter, physician-initiated BIOLUX 4-EVER trial was conducted at 5 centers in Belgium and enrolled 120 patients (mean age 70.9±10.5 years; 79 men) with symptomatic stenotic or occluded de novo femoropopliteal lesions. A fifth of the patients had diabetes mellitus and nearly half had previous peripheral artery interventions. The lesions were a mean 83.3±49.5 mm long with a mean reference vessel diameter of 5.26±0.59 mm. Lesions were treated with a Passeo-18 Lux DCB followed by the implantation of a Pulsar-18 bare metal stent. Follow-up visits were conducted at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months postprocedure; the main outcome was primary patency at 12 months.

RESULTS

Technical success was obtained in all patients. Primary patency was observed in 89.9% of patients (95% CI 84.0% to 95.8%) at 12 months and in 83.5% at 24 months (95% CI 89.9% to 97.3%), and freedom from target lesion revascularization was 93.6% (95% CI 89.9% to 97.3%) and 86.1% (95% CI 79.9% to 92.3%), respectively. Ten patients died throughout the course of the trial (90.7% survival at 24 months), all of noncardiovascular causes. The ankle-brachial index improved from 0.68±0.09 at baseline to 0.93±0.11 and 0.93±0.12 at 12- and 24-month follow-up visits (p<0.001). An improvement of at least 1 Rutherford category was observed in 91 of 94 patients (96.8%) at 12 months and 78 of 83 patients (93.4%) at 24 months (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The combination of a Passeo-18 Lux DCB followed by a Pulsar-18 stent implantation produced safe and effective outcomes in the treatment of femoropopliteal lesions at up to 24 months. Adding paclitaxel to the bare nitinol stent platform by predilating with a Passeo-18 Lux DCB seems to increase efficacy at 1 and 2 years compared with the use of bare metal stents only, which were investigated in the precursor 4-EVER study.

Post-dilatation of an interwoven nitinol stent using a paclitaxel-coated balloon for revascularization of complex femoro-popliteal lesions

To evaluate technical success, safety and efficacy of post-dilatation of an interwoven nitinol stent using a paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) for revascularization of complex femoro-popliteal lesions. Thirty patients (26 male, mean age 70 ± 7 years) suffering from peripheral artery disease (PAD) (Rutherford category II-III) underwent revascularization of chronic total occlusions (n = 22, 73%) or severe stenosis (n = 8, 27%) of the femoro-popliteal segment. Mean lesion length was 251 ± 85 mm. Lesions were treated by pre-dilatation (POBA), implantation of a helical interwoven stent and post-dilatation with a PCB. Technical success was defined as residual stenosis < 30%. Follow-up included clinical visits, duplex ultrasound and ABI at 6 and 12 months. Endpoints were patency (re-stenosis < 50%), complications, improvement of Rutherford category and ABI. Regarding patency two sub-groups were compared: long-("LL"; < 25 cm, n = 12, mean 175 ± 38 mm) and ultra-long lesions ("ULL"; ≥ 25 cm, n = 13, mean 322 ± 43 mm). Technical success was 100%. In 1/30 patients (3.3%), a minor complication occurred (embolism). The overall primary and secondary patency rates at 12 months were 80.0% (95% CI 72.5-96.9%) and 92.0% (95% CI 84.7-100%). In the LL-sub-group, primary patency was 100%, and in the ULL-sub-group, primary patency was 61.5% (95% CI 51.8-92.3%) (p = 0.056), and secondary patency 84.6% (95% CI 71.3-100%), respectively. Rutherford category increased by at least one category in 92% of patients, ABI increased from 0.52 ± 0.13 (baseline) to 0.9 ± 0.14 (12 months) (p = 0.001). Five patients underwent target lesion revascularization during follow-up (bypass: n = 1, endovascular: n = 4). No death was observed during follow-up. Post-dilatation of an interwoven nitinol stent using a paclitaxel-coated-balloon proved to be safe and effective with promising outcomes in long- and ultra-long lesions up to 12 months of follow-up.

Mortality in patients undergoing revascularization with paclitaxel eluting devices for infrainguinal peripheral artery disease: Insights from a network meta-analysis of randomized trials

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to evaluate whether paclitaxel eluting devices increased the risk of death in patients undergoing revascularization for infrainguinal peripheral artery disease using network meta-analyses.

METHODS

PUBMED and EMBASE were searched through April 2020 for randomized trials in patients with infrainguinal peripheral artery disease who underwent revascularization with or without a paclitaxel eluting device (balloon/stent). Short-term mortality defined as death at 6-12 months, and long-term mortality defined as death at >12 months after revascularization.

RESULTS

Our search identified 57 eligible randomized controlled studies enrolling a total of 9,362 patients comparing seven revascularization strategies (balloon angioplasty vs. bare metal stent vs. covered stent vs. paclitaxel eluting stent vs. other drug eluting stent vs. paclitaxel-coated balloon vs. bypass surgery). Overall, paclitaxel eluting stent and paclitaxel-coated balloons did not increase short-term mortality (eg, vs. balloon angioplasty: paclitaxel-coated balloon OR [95% CI] 1.21 [0.88-1.66], p = .24; paclitaxel eluting stent OR [95%CI] 1.01 [0.63-1.63], p = .97, respectively). In addition, paclitaxel eluting stent did not show significant increase in long-term mortality (eg, vs. balloon angioplasty: OR [95%CI] 1.06 [0.70-1.59], p = .79). However, paclitaxel-coated balloon showed significant increase in long-term mortality compared to balloon angioplasty and bypass (vs. balloon angioplasty: OR [95% CI] 1.48 [1.06-2.07], p = .021; vs. bypass: OR [95%CI] 1.73 [1.05-2.84], p = .031, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

In this meta-analysis of randomized trials, there was no significant increase in mortality with paclitaxel eluting stent, but there was increased risk of long-term mortality in paclitaxel-coated balloon for the treatment of infrainguinal peripheral artery disease.

Intermediate results of the prospective randomized study on the effect of lamina vastoadductoria dissection after superficial femoral artery stenting on the restenosis incidence in TASC-II type C and D lesions

Aim. To compare the effectiveness of superficial femoral artery (SFA) stenting with/without lamina vastoadductoria dissection.

Material and methods. The study included are 70 patients with TASCII type C and D lesions. All patients were divided onto 2 groups: group 1 (n=35) — conventional SFA stenting, group 2 (n=35) — SFA stenting with lamina vastoadductoria dissection. The average lesion length in group 1 was 22,92±5,62 cm, in group 2 — 21,2±5,42 cm. The primary endpoint was the absence of binary restenosis and reocclusion. Secondary composite endpoint was procedural success, limb salvage, secondary patency of the operated segment, intraoperative complications. The groups were comparable in age, sex, risk factors and comorbidities.

Results. The procedural success in both groups was 100%. Primary patency after 24 months was 28,5% in group 1 and 60% in group 2. During the 24-month follow-up period, we recorded 1 death in group 2 due to myocardial infarction. In group 1, 2 deaths due to myocardial infarction and pancreatic cancer metastasis were recorded. Limb salvage was 100% in both groups. There were no intraoperative complications in both groups.

Conclusion. Lamina vastoadductoria dissection is safe and does not lead to limb functional limitations. Biomechanical changes in the distal SFA segment contribute to the improvement of primary patency after stenting of SFA long lesions. Preliminary results of the single-center pilot study demonstrate the safety and efficacy of SFA stenting with lamina vastoadductoria dissection, emphasizing the need for further larger studies to compare it with conventional stenting and to assess the effectiveness during the long-term follow-up.

Endovascular Intervention for the Treatment of Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) D Femoropopliteal Lesions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE

Advancements in the endovascular treatment of femoropopliteal atherosclerotic lesions have led to treatment of more complex lesions, particularly long lesions. The aim of this study was to determine the meta-analytic primary patency and need for re-intervention among patients treated for very long lesions (>200 mm) at the femoropopliteal segment and to identify potential risk factors for loss of patency.

METHODS

This study was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. A random effects model meta-analysis was conducted, and the I-square was used to assess heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Fifty-one studies comprised of 3029 patients were included. The mean lesion length was 269 mm. The primary patency rate at 30 days, 6 m, 1-, 2- and 5-years of follow-up was 98%, 76%, 62%, 55%, and 39% respectively. The incidence of TLR was 16% at one year and 32% at two years. The secondary patency rate at 1, 2, 3 and 5 years was 85%, 71%, 64%, and 64% respectively. Heparin bonded ePTFE covered stents (69%) and paclitaxel eluting stents (73%) demonstrated higher 1-year primary patency rates than self-expanding nitinol stents (55%) or uncoated percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with provisional stenting (54%). Lesions treated with a heparin bonded ePTFE covered stent had statistically significant higher odds of remaining patent at 1-year of follow-up (OR: 2.74; 95%CI: 1.63-4.61; p < 0.001) than lesions treated with BMS or PTA. Patients with long femoropopliteal lesions causing critical limb ischemia (CLI) developed restenosis or occlusion more often than patients treated for claudication (HR: 1.63; 95%CI: 1.06-2.49; p = 0.026) during an average follow-up of 26 months.

CONCLUSION

Primary stenting of femoropopliteal TASC D lesions using drug eluting stents or covered stents results in sustained patency over time. PTA or uncoated nitinol stents demonstrated lower patency rates. However, additional comparative studies are needed to determine the efficacy of newer technologies for the treatment of complex femoropopliteal lesions and provide evidence for the most optimal treatment approach.

One-Year Clinical Outcomes of the Legflow Drug-Coated Balloon for the Treatment of Femoropopliteal Occlusions Registry

PURPOSE

To report the 1-year outcomes of the prospective Legflow drug-coated balloon (DCB) registry, which evaluated the safety and 12-month efficacy of the Legflow balloon in the treatment of femoropopliteal disease.

METHODS

The Legflow is a new generation of DCB that has a homogenous, stable surface coating incorporating 0.1-µm paclitaxel particles. From January 2014 to June 2016, 139 patients (mean age 67.1±10.8 years; 109 men) were enrolled at 4 European institutions. Seventy-nine (56.8%) patients had claudication, while 60 (43.2%) had critical limb ischemia (CLI). Mean lesion length (MLL) was 90.0±41.2 mm. Eighty (57.6%) patients were treated for de novo lesions (MLL 83.2±41.2 mm), 29 (20.9%) for postangioplasty restenosis (MLL 81.2±30.9 mm), and 30 (21.6%) for in-stent restenosis (MLL 117.0±39.5 mm). The primary outcome measure was freedom from binary restenosis as determined by a peak systolic velocity ratio ≥2.4 on duplex or >50% stenosis on digital subtraction angiography at 12 months. The secondary outcome was freedom from clinically-driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR) at 12 months.

RESULTS

Technical success was achieved in all the 139 treated patients. During the hospital stay, 3 CLI patients died of wound-related complications and 3 CLI patients underwent urgent TLR due to early occlusion in 2 and stent thrombosis in 1. At 12 months, 4 additional patients died of cardiac disease unrelated to the procedure. Of the 132 patients available for 1-year follow-up, the primary outcome (freedom from restenosis) was obtained in 107 (81.1%) patients. Freedom from CD-TLR was obtained in 110 (83.3%). Of the 25 late restenoses >50%, only 3 asymptomatic patients did not require TLR. Freedom from CD-TLR was higher in claudicants (87.0%) than in CLI patients (78.2%, p=0.20). In patients treated for in-stent restenosis, freedom from TLR at 1 year was 89.2%.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that the use of a new generation paclitaxel-coated balloon represents a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for femoropopliteal obstructions in different clinical and anatomical settings. These data will need to be confirmed with longer-term follow-up and in randomized controlled trials.

Mortality After Paclitaxel-Coated Device Use in Patients With Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Purpose:

To report the risk of all-cause mortality after treatment with paclitaxel-coated devices vs uncoated controls in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI).

Materials and Methods:

A search of the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, DARE, and PROSPERO databases was made on 5 November 2019 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCT) using intention-to-treat analysis to compare a paclitaxel-coated device to an uncoated device in PAD patients having clinical follow-up of at least 6 months. Half of the study population had to have CLTI or extractable data on the CLTI subgroup if <50%. The search identified 11 trials having 1450 patients randomized to a paclitaxel-coated device (n=866) or an uncoated control (n=584). There were 1367 (94.3%) patients with CLTI (range 10–429). The single endpoint was all-cause mortality, which was analyzed by pooling the mortality data in a DerSimonian and Laird random effects model. Summary statistics are expressed as relative risk ratios (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results:

The mean follow-up was 25.6 months (range 6–60); 10 of 11 studies reported a minimum 12-month follow-up. There were 161 (18.6%) deaths among 866 subjects in the paclitaxel device group and 116 deaths among 584 (19.9%) subjects in the non-coated control group (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.12, p=0.45).

Conclusion:

There was no observed difference in short- to midterm mortality among a pooled patient population of predominately CLTI patients treated with paclitaxel-coated balloons or stents compared with uncoated controls.

1-Year All-Comers Analysis of the Eluvia Drug-Eluting Stent for Long Femoropopliteal Lesions After Suboptimal Angioplasty

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess the performance of the fluoropolymer-based paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) in long femoropopliteal lesions.

BACKGROUND

The new-generation fluoropolymer-based PES showed promising outcomes in short femoropopliteal lesions. The main feature of the stent is its controlled and sustained paclitaxel release over 12 months. However, the safety and efficacy of this technology in longer femoropopliteal lesions remain unclear.

METHODS

Between March 2016 and March 2017, 62 patients were included in this analysis. Indications for fluoropolymer-based PES deployment were insufficient luminal gain or flow-limiting dissection after plain old balloon angioplasty in a femoropopliteal lesion. Primary patency, freedom from target lesion revascularization, amputation-free survival, and paclitaxel-related adverse events were retrospectively analyzed for up to 1 year of follow-up.

RESULTS

Lesions were de novo in 84% of patients. Mean lesion length was 20 ± 12 cm, and 79% of the lesions (n = 49) were chronic total occlusions. Moderate or severe calcification was present in 42% of the lesions (n = 26). Stent implantation involved the distal superficial femoral artery and the proximal popliteal artery in 76% (n = 47) and 44% (n = 27) of patients, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of primary patency and freedom from target lesion revascularization was 87%. Amputation-free survival was 100% for patients with claudication (n = 32 [52%]) and 87% in patients with critical limb ischemia (n = 30 [48%]) (hazard ratio: 6.3; 95% confidence interval: 1.25 to 31.54; p = 0.052). Five aneurysm formations of the treated segments (8%) were thought to be attributable to paclitaxel.

CONCLUSIONS

The fluoropolymer-based PES showed promising 1-year clinical and angiographic outcomes in real-world long femoropopliteal lesions. The long-term impact of aneurysm formation remains to be further investigated.

Comparative Outcomes of Supera Interwoven Nitinol vs Bare Nitinol Stents for the Treatment of Femoropopliteal Disease: Insights From the XLPAD Registry

Purpose: To report a propensity score analysis comparing outcomes of the Supera interwoven nitinol stent to bare nitinol stents (BNS) in the femoropopliteal segment. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted utilizing data extracted from the Excellence in Peripheral Artery Disease (XLPAD) registry (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01904851) on 871 patients (mean age 65.1 years; 713 men) who underwent femoropopliteal balloon angioplasty with either Supera stent implantation in 118 limbs or other contemporary BNS in 753 limbs between January 2006 and December 2016. All patients in both groups were matched for baseline demographic and clinical characteristics in a 1:1 propensity score matching using the nearest neighbor method to create the 118-patient matched BNS cohort. One-year outcomes included all-cause mortality, target vessel revascularization (TVR), and target limb revascularization (TLR). An additional core laboratory analysis was conducted to measure the deployed length of Supera stents. Results: In unmatched data, the Supera stent group had a numerically lower rate of TVR (7.6% vs 13.4%, p=0.08) and a significantly lower 1-year TLR rate (7.6% vs 16.2%, p=0.02) compared to the BNS group. Both groups had similar 1-year mortality (2.5% vs 2.7%, p=0.9). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that the Supera group had a significantly lower risk of TVR (p=0.02) and TLR (p=0.002) than the BNS group. After propensity matching, the 1-year TVR estimate was lower for Supera stents (7.6% vs 12.7%, p=0.08) and significantly lower for TLR (7.6% vs 13.6%, p=0.04) than the BNS group. There was no statistically significant association between Supera stent elongation (>10% of the labeled stent length) and 1-year risk of TLR (p=0.6). Conclusion: Supera stent usage in femoropopliteal intervention was associated with reduced risk of 1-year repeat target limb revascularization compared with BNS treatment in both unmatched and matched cohorts.

Helical stent (SUPERA™) and drug-coated balloon (Passeo-18 Lux™) for recurrent cephalic arch stenosis: Rationale and design of arch V SUPERA-LUX Study

BACKGROUND

The treatment options for cephalic arch stenosis are limited and standard of care remains at crossroads - none are ideal and there is currently no gold standard. Endovascular techniques are now the preferred primary therapeutic option because they are minimally invasive and better tolerated by haemodialysis patients who have multiple comorbidities. However, conventional plain old balloon angioplasty, bare metal stenting and stent grafts all have their limitations. The aim of this trial is to evaluate whether the helical SUPERA™ stent (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA, USA), which has a higher degree of flexibility and resistance to compressive forces compared to traditionally laser-cut nitinol stents, combined with a drug-coated balloon (Biotronik Passeo-18 Lux™) to minimize the neointimal hyperplasia effect, can improve patency and reduce reintervention rates.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Arch V SUPERA-LUX is a pilot investigator-initiated single-centre, single-arm prospective study. Twenty patients with a brachiocephalic fistula within 6 months of initial plain old balloon angioplasty for significant cephalic arch stenosis will be recruited for treatment with SUPERA and drug-coated balloon. The primary objectives are immediate angiographic and procedural success, primary patency and functional fistula at 1 week, 8 weeks, 6 and 12 months. The results from eight patients treated prospectively as proof of concept have shown primary patency of 83.3% at 1 year with 100% technical and procedural success rates. Enrolment for the Arch V SUPERA-LUX study is expected to be completed at the end of 2019.

CONCLUSION

The Arch V SUPERA-LUX study is the first trial to evaluate whether SUPERA stent implantation and drug-coated balloon use can provide superior protection against restenosis compared to traditional angioplasty, bare metal stents and stent grafts in recurrent cephalic arch stenosis. Initial pilot results are encouraging but longer follow-up is required to truly test this technique.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03891693.

Drug coated balloon supported Supera stent versus Supera stent in intermediate and long-segment lesions of the superficial femoral artery: 2-year results of the RAPID Trial

BACKGROUND

Endovascular treatment of occlusive disease of the superficial femoral artery (SFA) has evolved from plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA) through primary stenting strategy to drug eluting technology-based approach. The RAPID Trial investigates the added value of drug coated balloons (DCB, Legflow) in a primary stenting strategy (Supera stent) for intermediate (5-15 cm) and long segment (>15 cm) SFA lesions.

METHODS

In this multicenter, patient-blinded trial, 160 patients with intermittent claudication, ischemic rest pain, or tissue loss due to intermediate or long SFA lesions were randomized (1:1) between Supera + DCB and Supera. Primary endpoint was primary patency at 2 years, defined as freedom from restenosis on duplex ultrasound (peak systolic velocity ratio <2.4).

RESULTS

At 2 years, primary patency was 55.1% (95% CI: 43.1-67.1%) in the Supera + DCB group versus 48.3% (95% CI: 35.6-61.0%) in the Supera group (P=0.957). Per protocol analysis showed a primary patency rate of 60.9% (95% CI: 48.6-73.2%) in the Supera + DCB group versus 49.8% (95% CI: 36.9-62.7%) in the Supera group (P=0.469). The overall mortality rate was 5% in both groups (P=0.975). Sustained functional improvement was similar in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The 2-year results in the current trial of a primary Supera stenting strategy are consistent with other trials reporting on treatment of intermediate and long SFA lesions. A DCB supported Supera stent strategy did not improve patency rate compared to a Supera stent only strategy.

The Randomized Freeway Stent Study: Drug-Eluting Balloons Outperform Standard Balloon Angioplasty for Postdilatation of Nitinol Stents in the SFA and PI Segment

PURPOSE

The prospective randomized multicenter Freeway study evaluated the possible hemodynamic and clinical benefits of primary stent insertion followed by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with drug-eluting balloons (DEB) over post-stent insertion PTA with standard balloons in the treatment of symptomatic femoropopliteal arteriosclerotic lesions.

METHODS

In total, 204 patients in 13 centers in Germany and Austria were enrolled and randomized to primary stenting followed by either FREEWAY™ drug-eluting balloon or standard PTA balloon angioplasty. The primary endpoint was the rate of clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 6 months; the secondary endpoints include TLR rate at 12 months and primary patency, shift in Rutherford classification, ankle-brachial index (ABI) and major adverse events (MAE) at 6 and 12 months. Lesion characteristics and vessel patency were analyzed by an independent and blinded corelab.

RESULTS

At 6-month and 12-month follow-up, TLR rate was lower in the DEB arm compared to standard PTA but did not reach statistical significance (4.1% vs. 9.0% p = 0.234 and 7.9% vs. 17.7% p = 0.064, respectively). Primary patency was significantly better for patients treated with the DEB at 6 months (90.3% vs. 69.8% p = 0.001) and 12 months (77.4% vs. 61.0% p = 0.027). Improvement in Rutherford classifications was likewise significantly better for patients in the DEB group at 6 (94.9% vs. 84.3% p = 0.027) and 12 months (95.5% vs. 79.9% p = 0.003). The percentage of patients with an improved ABI of 1.0-1.2 was significantly higher in the DEB group compared to the PTA group at 6 months (55.3% vs. 35.3%; p = 0.015) but without significant difference at 12 months (48.2% vs. 32.9%; p = 0.055). At 6 months, rate of major adverse events (MAE) was 1% in both arms, and at 12 months 2.2% for the DEB and 3.8% for the PTA group.

CONCLUSION

The Freeway Stent Study shows that the usage of DEB as a restenosis prophylaxis seems to be safe and feasible. The 12-month follow-up results give a clear sign in favor of the DEB group.

Mechanical rotational thrombectomy with Rotarex system augmented with drug-eluting balloon angioplasty versus stenting for the treatment of acute thrombotic and critical limb ischaemia in the femoropopliteal segment

Introduction

Mechanical thrombectomy is an alternative to local thrombolysis for the treatment of severe ischaemia in the femoropopliteal segment, but stent implantation is usually required after this procedure. The use of drug-eluting balloons (DEBs) may overcome long-term problems associated with stents, but it remains unclear how often such a treatment is technically feasible and efficient.

Aim

This post hoc single-centre study was aimed at assessment of the feasibility, safety and efficacy of mechanical thrombectomy followed by application of DEBs.

Material and methods

Fifty-one patients, aged 69.1 ±11.6 years, were managed for acute thrombotic or chronic critical ischaemia in the femoropopliteal segment using the Rotarex device. Following mechanical thrombectomy, on condition that there was no significant residual stenosis or dissection, lesions were managed with paclitaxel-coated DEBs, which was a desired strategy (24 patients). The remaining 25 patients underwent stent implantations, which was regarded as bailout treatment. Final follow-up was scheduled 12 months after the procedure.

Results

The primary-assisted patency rate after mechanical rotational thrombectomy with additional balloon angioplasty and/or stenting was 97.1% (49 patients). The early mortality rate was 2.0% (1 patient) and the amputation rate was 4.1% (2 patients). There were no late mortalities or limb amputations at 12-month follow-up, but significant restenoses occurred in 13 (27.1%) patients. These restenoses were more frequent in patients who underwent stent implantation (45.5%) than those managed with DEBs (12.5%), and in patients managed for secondary lesions.

Conclusions

In selected patients mechanical rotational thrombectomy in the femoropopliteal segment followed by application of DEB is a safe, effective and long-lasting method of revascularisation.

Risk of Death Following Application of Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons and Stents in the Femoropopliteal Artery of the Leg: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background Several randomized controlled trials ( RCT s) have already shown that paclitaxel-coated balloons and stents significantly reduce the rates of vessel restenosis and target lesion revascularization after lower extremity interventions. Methods and Results A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCT s investigating paclitaxel-coated devices in the femoral and/or popliteal arteries was performed. The primary safety measure was all-cause patient death. Risk ratios and risk differences were pooled with a random effects model. In all, 28 RCT s with 4663 patients (89% intermittent claudication) were analyzed. All-cause patient death at 1 year (28 RCT s with 4432 cases) was similar between paclitaxel-coated devices and control arms (2.3% versus 2.3% crude risk of death; risk ratio, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.72-1.61). All-cause death at 2 years (12 RCT s with 2316 cases) was significantly increased in the case of paclitaxel versus control (7.2% versus 3.8% crude risk of death; risk ratio, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.15-2.47; -number-needed-to-harm, 29 patients [95% CI , 19-59]). All-cause death up to 5 years (3 RCT s with 863 cases) increased further in the case of paclitaxel (14.7% versus 8.1% crude risk of death; risk ratio, 1.93; 95% CI , 1.27-2.93; -number-needed-to-harm, 14 patients [95% CI , 9-32]). Meta-regression showed a significant relationship between exposure to paclitaxel (dose-time product) and absolute risk of death (0.4±0.1% excess risk of death per paclitaxel mg-year; P<0.001). Trial sequential analysis excluded false-positive findings with 99% certainty (2-sided α, 1.0%). Conclusions There is increased risk of death following application of paclitaxel-coated balloons and stents in the femoropopliteal artery of the lower limbs. Further investigations are urgently warranted. Clinical Trial Registration URL : www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO . Unique identifier: CRD 42018099447.

Novel Nitinol Stent for Lesions up to 24 cm in the Superficial Femoral and Proximal Popliteal Arteries: 24-Month Results From the TIGRIS Randomized Trial

PURPOSE

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the TIGRIS stent for lesions up to 24 cm in the superficial femoral and proximal popliteal arteries (SFA/PPA).

METHODS

This prospective, multicenter, randomized study enrolled 274 subjects at 36 sites in the United States and Europe. Subjects were randomly assigned in a 3:1 ratio to treatment with the TIGRIS stent (n=197; mean age 66.7±9.28 years; 141 men) or LifeStent (n=70; mean age 67.9±8.87 years; 49 men). The primary safety endpoint was 30-day freedom from major adverse events (MAE). The primary efficacy endpoint was primary patency at 12 months. Secondary endpoints included target lesion revascularization (TLR) and stent fracture. Clinical success and quality of life were also assessed.

RESULTS

Mean lesion length (107.6 vs 117.9 mm, p=0.29), procedure success (99.5% vs 97.1%, p=0.17), and freedom from MAE (99.5% vs 100%, p>0.99) were similar for the TIGRIS and control groups, respectively. Likewise, there was no difference in primary patency at 12 months (60.6% vs 63.2%, p=0.73) or 24 months (56.3% vs 50.2%, p=0.60) or in TLR at the same time points (76.6% vs 80.6%, p=0.49; 70.5% vs 67.2%, p=0.85). There were no differences in the changes in Rutherford category or the ankle/brachial index through 24 months. The rate of stent fracture was lower for TIGRIS compared with LifeStent (0% vs 32.7%, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The TIGRIS stent and LifeStent were similarly effective for the treatment of lesions in the SFA and PPA. The high flexibility and zero fracture rate associated with the TIGRIS stent make this device favorable for use in high-flexion arteries.