title: Balloon angioplasty combined with primary stenting versus balloon angioplasty alone in femoropopliteal obstructions: A comparative randomized study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether balloon angioplasty combined with stenting (ST) of symptomatic femoropopliteal disease would provide better results compared with balloon angioplasty alone (BA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one patients were randomized between ST (24 patients) and BA (27 patients). Follow-up comprised clinical and hemodynamic assessment and color-flow duplex ultrasound examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Residual stenosis (> or = 30% diameter reduction) occurred in three BA patients, but not in the ST patients. By life-table analysis the cumulative rate of clinical and hemodynamic success after 1 year with ST was 74% (SE 9%) and for those with BA 85% (SE 7%) (p = 0.25). The primary patency at 1 year assessed by color-flow duplex ultrasound was 62% (SE 9%) for ST-treated patients and 74% (SE 8%) for BA patients (p = 0.22). Occlusion occurred in five ST patients (21%) compared with two BA patients (7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ST does not improve clinical and hemodynamic outcome compared with BA. Moreover, the occlusion rate in ST-treated patients is higher.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Catharina Hospital, Michelangelolaan 2, 5623 EJ Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vroegindeweij
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Vos
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Tielbeek
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buth
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: vd Bosch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color