title: Treatment of chronic iliac artery occlusions with guide wire recanalization and primary stent placement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the results of primary stent placement without initial thrombolysis in the treatment of iliac occlusions.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 3-year period, 61 iliac artery occlusions were treated in 59 patients. The mean length of the occluded segment was 10 cm (range, 4-25 cm). The occluded arteries were treated with primary placement of self-expandable metallic stents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Successful recanalization with primary stent placement was possible in 56 of 61 occlusions (92% technical success rate). Mean Doppler ankle/brachial index increased from 0.51 to 0.90 immediately after treatment and was 0.91 on the last follow-up (P < .05). Primary patency rate at 24 months was 73%, and secondary patency rate was 88%. Procedural complications included distal embolization (n = 4) and an episode of massive intra-abdominal bleeding. Three patients developed a hematoma at the puncture site that did not require additional therapy. Late complications included stent occlusion (n = 9) and significant stenosis related to intimal hyperplasia (n = 1). Mean follow-up period was 29 months (range, 7-55 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary stent placement is an effective therapeutic option for iliac artery occlusions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital Ntra Sra del Pino, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maynar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lopera
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ferral
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gorriz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carreira
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Castaneda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017130:Angioplasty / Q000379:methods*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D015607:Stents; D014654:Vascular Patency