STENT ANGIOPLASTY IN THE INFRARENAL AORTA AND AT THE AORTIC BIFURCATION

Purpose: The study was carried out to evaluate clinical and technical success, early and late complications and patency rates after stent an gioplasty of atherosclerotic stenoses and occulusions of the infrarena l abdominal aorta and aortic bifurcation. Patients and methods: This w as a prospective study in 20 consecutive patients treated by implantat ion of balloon-expandable stents. All patients were followed-up after 6 and 12 months and at yearly intervals thereafter by physical examina tion, Doppler sonography and angiography. Results: Nineteen of 20 pati ents had clinical and technical success. In two patients clinically re levant complications occured. During a mean observation time of 19 mon ths (range 3-51 months) restenosis occurred in one stent after 15 mont hs and was successfully treated by balloon angioplasty. Two patients b ecame symptomatic again due to new atherosclerotic disease. Conclusion s: Percutaneous stent angioplasty of the infrarenal aorta and aortic b ifurcation yields high immediate and mid-term success rates with prima ry patency of 90% and secondary patency of 95%. These results are slig htly better than those with balloon angioplasty, but the limited numbe r of patients in our and others' studies does not yet justify general recommendations.