EVALUATION OF FEMOROPOPLITEAL ARTERIES WITH DUPLEX ULTRASOUND AFTER ANGIOPLASTY - CAN WE PREDICT RESULTS AT ONE-YEAR

Objectives: To determine if Duplex ultrasound (DUS) 1 day after percut aneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is prognostic for haemodynamic a nd clinical results at 1 year. Design: Prospective study. Patients and methods: Thirty-four femoropopliteal artery segments were treated wit h PTA. The peak systolic velocity ratio (PSV ratio = PSV in stenosis: PSV in normal segment) was determined with DUS before PTA, 1 day after PTA and 1 year after PTA. Clinical results were assessed with the SVS /ISCVS (Society for Vascular Surgery/International Society for CardioV ascular Surgery) results classification. Results: A 1 year clinical be nefit from PTA was seen in 16 of 25 patients (64%) and haemodynamic im provement in 20 of 34 treated segments (59%). With DUS three residual stenoses were found 1 day after PTA; all occluded within 1 year. Segme nts with good DUS results after PTA showed haemodynamic deterioration in 30%. Clinical improvement was seen in most patients with DUS improv ement, whereas no change or deterioration was found in patients with b oth good and poor DUS results at 1 year. Conclusions: Residual stenosi s on DUS 1 day after PTA is prognostic for failure within 1 year. Howe ver, good DUS results after PTA cannot predict haemodynamic success. H aemodynamic success at 1 year does not imply clinical success.