EXPANDABLE metallic stents are now commonly used to treat peripheral v
ascular disease. Endoluminal stents have demonstrated utility in preve
nting recoil after angioplasty and in reducing restenosis in certain v
ascular beds. Just as stent placement represented an evolutionary step
up from the interventional technology of balloon angioplasty, stent-g
rafts now are bridging the fields of vascular surgery and intervention
al radiology. The use of metallic expandable stents to anchor traditio
nal surgical bypass grafts in an endoluminal location has created an o
pportunity to treat both vascular occlusive disease and aneurysmal dis
ease in a less invasive, interventional fashion. This article outlines
the progress made in the development and implementation of endovascul
ar stent-grafts for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease.