title: Chronically occluded inferior venae cavae: endovascular treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the results of endoluminal recanalization and stent placement in patients with chronic occlusions of the inferior vena cava (IVC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen consecutive patients (12 male, five female patients; mean age, 40.6 years; age range, 15-77 years) with chronic IVC occlusions were treated during a 6-year period. The mean duration of symptoms was 32 months. Underlying active malignancy was the cause of occlusion in four patients. Five patients with superimposed acute thrombus underwent catheter-directed thrombolysis prior to IVC recanalization. Clinical patency was defined as absence or improvement of symptoms. Clinical follow-up was supplemented with ultrasonography, vena cavography, or both in 10 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Technical success was achieved in 15 (88%) patients. Additional thrombolytic therapy and stent placement was needed in two patients to maintain patency at 4 and 6 months after the procedure. Twelve patients had IVCs that remained patent after a mean follow-up of 19 months for a primary patency rate of 80%. The primary assisted patency rate was 87% (13 of 15). There were four deaths owing to underlying disease 6-21 months after the procedures. There were no procedure-related complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endoluminal recanalization and stent placement in chronically occluded IVCs has a good intermediate-term outcome and should be considered in patients who have symptoms and who often do not have adequate alternative therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Stanford University Hospital, CA 94305-1056, USA. mrazavi@stanford.edu
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Razavi
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Hansch
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kee
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Sze
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Semba
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Dake
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography; D015607:Stents; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging