Prophylactic endovascular radiotherapy to prevent intimal hyperplasia after stent implantation in femoropopliteal arteries.
OBJECTIVE
Recurrent stenosis or occlusion by intimal hyperplasia occurs in up to 40% of patients with tantalum stent implantations in femoropopliteal arteries and greatly restricts their usefulness. We evaluated the effect of prophylactic endovascular radiotherapy on stenosed/occluded stents.


METHODS
We investigated prophylactic endovascular radiotherapy with a surface dose of 12 Gy using an iridium 192 source as a means to reduce or eliminate recurrent stenosis in 4 patients with stenosed/occluded stents, 6-8 months after the original implantation. Confirmatory diagnostic atherectomy, PTA or laser recanalization and endovascular radiotherapy were performed.


RESULTS
None of the four has developed recurrent obstruction within 23 to 30 months after this treatment, which up to now shows no short-term or long-term complications.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that this limited experience is promising enough to warrant further study.
Liermann
D
D
Department of Radiology, J.W. Goethe University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Bottcher
H D
HD
Kollath
J
J
Schopohl
B
B
Strassmann
G
G
Strecker
E P
EP
Breddin
K H
KH
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects