An update on endovascular therapy of the lower extremities

First-in-man experience of self-expanding nitinol stents combined with drug-coated balloon in the treatment of femoropopliteal occlusive disease

Purpose

The present study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of a drug-coated balloon inflated within a thin-strut self-expanding bare-metal stent in patients with severe and complex femoropopliteal occlusive disease.

Methods

This prospective study used the Pulsar-self-expanding stent and Passeo-18 Lux drug-coated balloon in patients with severe and complex femoropopliteal occlusive disease. The primary endpoint was the 12-month primary patency, and the secondary endpoints included 24-month primary patency, assisted primary patency, secondary patency, and clinically associated target lesion revascularisation.

Results

The study included 44 patients (51 limbs). The mean age of the patients was 67.6 ± 10.2 years, with 73% men. Chronic limb severity was classified as Rutherford Category III in 41% of the patients, stage IV in 31%, and stage V in 27%. Lesions were predominantly Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC 2007) D (51%) and C (45%), with 32 (63%) chronic total occlusions. Procedural success was obtained in all cases. The mean lesion length was 200 ± 74.55 mm (95% CI = 167.09–208.01) with a mean number of stents per limb used of 1.57 ± 0.70 (95% CI = 1.37–1.76). Distal embolisation occurred in two patients. The primary patency rates at the 12- and 24-month follow-up were 94% (95% CI = 82.9–98.1) and 88% (95% CI = 75.7–94.5), respectively. The assisted primary was 94% (95% CI = 82.9–98.1) and secondary patency was 96% (95% CI = 85.2–99.0) at 24-month follow-up. The cumulative stent fracture rate at the 24-month follow-up was 10%. Freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularisation was 94% (95% CI = 83–98%) at 12-month follow-up and 88% (95% CI = 76–94%) at 24-month follow-up, with two patients requiring a bypass graft.

Conclusion

Our novel approach involving the combination of a thin-strut bare-metal stent and a drug-coated balloon may be safe and effective, with sustainable and promising clinical outcomes up to 24 months after treatment.

Transmetatarsal amputation: a case series and review of the literature

Foot ulceration is a major cause of morbidity amongst patients with diabetes. In severe cases of ulceration, osteomyelitis and amputation can ensue. A distinct lack of agreement exists on the most appropriate level of amputation in cases of severe foot ulceration/infection to provide predictable healing rates. This paper provides an overview of the transmetatarsal amputation (TMA) as a limb salvage procedure and is written with the perspective and experiences of the Department of Podiatric Surgery at West Middlesex University Hospital (WMUH). We have reflected on the cases of 11 patients (12 feet) and have found the TMA to be an effective procedure in the management of cases of severe forefoot ulceration and infection.

Initial Clinical Experience with the 4-F Self-expanding XPERT Stent System for Infrapopliteal Treatment of Patients with Severe Claudication and Critical Limb Ischemia

PURPOSE

To evaluate the primary success and short-term patency associated with a new 4-F sheath-compatible self-expanding nitinol stent after failed conventional angioplasty of distal popliteal and infrapopliteal lesions in severe lifestyle-limiting claudication (LLC) and chronic critical limb ischemia (CLI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between May 2003 and July 2005, 35 patients with Rutherford category 3-5 disease (16 patients with CLI, 19 patients with LLC) underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and stent implantation. Indications for stent placement were residual stenosis, flow-limiting dissections, or elastic recoil after PTA. Before and after the intervention and during the 6-month follow-up, clinical investigation, color-flow and duplex Doppler ultrasonography, and digital subtraction angiography were performed. Technical success, primary patency at 6 months, clinical improvement as defined by Rutherford with clinical and hemodynamic measures, and complications were evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 22 patients underwent distal popliteal artery stent placement and 13 underwent tibioperoneal artery stent placement. Stent implantation was successfully performed in all patients. After stent placement, the primary cumulative patency rate for the study group at 6 months was 82%. The mean resting ankle-brachial index at baseline was 0.50 +/- 0.16 and significantly increased to 0.90 +/- 0.17 at 12-24 hours after intervention and 0.82 +/- 0.24 at latest follow-up (P < .001 for both). The sustained clinical improvement rate was 80% at the 6-month follow-up. The 6-month limb salvage rate regarding major amputation was 100%. The rate of major complications was 17%.

CONCLUSIONS

Infrapopliteal application of the new nitinol stent is a safe, feasible, and effective method with good short-term patency rate in the treatment of severe LLC and chronic CLI.

Self-expanding nitinol stents for treatment of infragenicular arteries following unsuccessful balloon angioplasty

The feasibility of self-expanding nitinol stents for treatment of infragenicular arteries following unsuccessful balloon angioplasty was assessed. Options for lower limb percutaneous revascularization are limited, especially for complex vessel obstruction. Depending on the lesion and the experience of the interventionalist, the failure rate of balloon angioplasty (PTA) ranges between 10 and 40%. Until recently, no self-expanding stent for the use in the infragenicular arteries was available. This is the first report of the results for 18 consecutive patients who received 4F sheath compatible self-expanding nitinol stents following unsuccessful PTA or early restenosis. Twenty-four stents were implanted in 21 lesions for various indications residual stenosis >50% due to heavy calcification, flow-limiting dissection, occluding thrombus resistant to thrombolyis, thrombaspiration, and PTA, and early restenosis after previous PTA. Stent implantation was feasible in all cases. No complications occurred. After the stent implantation, all primarily unsuccessful interventions could be transformed into successful procedures with no residual stenosis >30% in any case. After 6 +/- 2 months, two of the 18 patients died, and 14 of the 16 remaining patients improved clinically. At follow-up, the patency could be assessed in 14 stented arteries. Three stents were occluded, one stent showed some neointimal hyperplasia (50-70% restenosis), the remaining ten stents showed no restenosis (0-30%). The use of self-expanding nitinol stents in tibioperoneal and popliteal arteries is a safe and feasible option for the treatment of unsuccessful PTA. The 6-months patency is high.

Midterm Outcomes From the TALON Registry:Treating Peripherals With SilverHawk:Outcomes Collection

PURPOSE

To determine midterm clinical outcomes among patients with lower extremity peripheral arterial disease who underwent revascularization with catheter-based plaque excision (PE).

METHODS

Between August 2003 and February 2005, 19 institutions participating in the observational, nonrandomized, multicenter TALON registry enrolled 601 consecutive patients (353 men; mean age 70+/-11, range 36-98) with 1258 symptomatic lower extremity atherosclerotic lesions (748 limbs) treated by plaque excision with the SilverHawk catheter. Approximately 50% of the patients had diabetes, and nearly one third of the procedures were indicated for Rutherford ischemia category > or =4. Mean lesion lengths above and below the knee, respectively, were 62.5+/-68.5 mm (interquartile range [IQR], 20.0-80.0) and 33.4+/-42.7 mm (IQR 15.0-37.5). The primary endpoints of the study were target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 6 and 12 months.

RESULTS

The device achieved < or =50% residual diameter stenosis in 94.7% of lesions; procedural success was 97.6%. Nearly half (41.9%) of the procedures involved PE of > or =2 lesions. Nearly three quarters (73.3%) of the lesions did not require adjunctive therapy, and stent placement following PE occurred in only 6.3% of lesions. The 6- and 12-month rates of survival free of TLR were 90% and 80%, respectively. Rates of TLR were similar among patients with diabetes (11%) and without diabetes (9%). In the multivariate analysis, significant predictors of TLR at 6 months were a history of MI or coronary revascularization (HR 5.49, 95% CI 1.87 to 16.10, p=0.0008), multiple (> or =2) lesions (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.70, p=0.0019), and increasing Rutherford category (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.65, p=0.0003). Lesion length >50 mm was associated with a 2.9-fold increased risk for TLR (HR 2.88, 95% CI 1.18 to 7.01, p=0.012); lesion length >100 mm was associated with a 3.3-fold increase in TLR (HR 3.32, 95% CI 1.15 to 9.56, p=0.016).

CONCLUSION

In patients undergoing revascularization for lower extremity atherosclerotic disease, catheter-based PE achieves favorable procedural success and avoids the need for repeat revascularization at midterm follow-up. These findings support PE as a primary endovascular therapy for patients undergoing lower extremity arterial revascularization.