PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL ANGIOPLASTY FOR SUBCLAVIAN ARTERY-STENOSIS

Treatment of brachiocephalic arterial lesions by percutaneous translum inal angioplasty (PTA) has only recently been performed with sufficien t frequency to allow full assessment of its value. In this series, we report our results with PTA of 36 symptomatic subclavian stenoses in 3 3 patients seen from February 1981 through February 1992. Initial succ ess rate was 94 per cent. There were no deaths and no CNS complication s. Five minor complications occurred. Review of published surgical ser ies suggests a similar early success rate but a significantly higher m orbidity. These excellent early results of PTA and long-term results f rom other studies confirm that PTA of subclavian artery stenoses is a safe, highly effective procedure and should be considered the treatmen t of choice for symptomatic subclavian artery stenoses.