RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. TO evaluate neointimal hyperplasia, plaque distri
bution, and morphologic features of peripheral arterial stent-grafts with i
ntravascular ultrasound (IVUS).
METHODS. Twenty-three patients with stenoses or occlusions of the pelvic or
femoral arteries were treated with 31 stent-grafts. Angiography and IVUS o
f the stented artery were performed 13.9 +/- 9.7 months after stent implant
ation, Maximum in-stent restenosis was measured by IVUS, Plaque composition
and lesion topography were also assessed.
RESULTS. The maximum in-stent restenosis was 53.2 +/- 26.5% for the femoral
and 14.2 +/- 10.1 for pelvic arterial stent-grafts. Predilection sites of
maximum neointimal tissue accumulation were the edges of the femoral stent-
grafts. Only small amounts of neointimal hyperplasia were found in the sten
t-graft edges. No predilection site for maximum in-stent restenosis was fou
nd for the pelvic arterial stent-grafts.
CONCLUSIONS. Predilection sites of maximum in-stent restenosis were the edg
es of femoral stent-grafts in contrast to pelvic stent-grafts, Femoral sten
t-grafts showed significantly higher graded stenoses with IVUS than iliac s
tent-grafts, The authors' findings at IVUS did not change the treatment pla
n in these patients treated with stent-grafts.