PROPHYLACTIC ENDOVASCULAR RADIOTHERAPY TO PREVENT INTIMAL HYPERPLASIAAFTER STENT IMPLANTATION IN FEMOROPOPLITEAL ARTERIES

Purpose: Recurrent stenosis or occlusion by intimal hyperplasia occurs in up to 40% of patients with tantalum stent implantations in femorop opliteal arteries and greatly restricts their usefulness. We evaluated the effect of prophylactic endovascular radiotherapy on stenosed/occl uded stents. Methods: We investigated prophylactic endovascular radiot herapy with a surface dose of 12 Gy using an iridium 192 source as a m eans to reduce or eliminate recurrent stenosis in 4 patients with sten osed/occluded stents, 6-8 months after the original implantation. Conf irmatory diagnostic atherectomy, PTA or laser recanalization and endov ascular radiotherapy were performed. Results: None of the four has dev eloped recurrent obstruction within 23 to 30 months after this treatme nt, which up to now shows no short-term or long-term complications. Co nclusion: We conclude that this limited experience is promising enough to warrant further study.