title: Stent-assisted angioplasty at the level of the common femoral artery bifurcation: midterm outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the midterm outcome after stent-assisted angioplasty of occlusive disease at the common femoral artery bifurcation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1995 and 2002, 27 consecutive patients (18 men; mean age 70 years, range 47-90) underwent angioplasty with stent implantation in 33 limbs; target sites included 19 common femoral arteries, the origins of 2 superficial or 4 profunda femoris arteries, and 8 bypass anastomoses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Technical success was 100%. Patients were followed for a mean 30 months (95% CI 21 to 39), at which time the cumulative primary patency was 86% (95% CI 85% to 88%). At 3 years, 83% of the arteries were patent. Five restenoses were due to neointimal hyperplasia in 4 cases (3 bypass grafts) and strut failure of the only balloon-expandable stent used in this series. Restenoses due to neointimal hyperplasia at bypass anastomoses (3/ 8) were more common than in native arteries (2/25) (p=0.078); cumulative primary patency for the bypass subgroup was 71% (95% CI 59% to 82%) at a mean 23-month follow-up; 75% and 60% of the anastomoses were patent after 1 and 2 years, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Angioplasty of obstructions in the common femoral artery and its bifurcation with implantation of self-expanding stents shows good midterm primary patency. Native artery lesions have a better outcome than stenoses at bypass anastomoses. The procedure does not preclude further endovascular interventions at the puncture site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ospedale Regionale Locarno, Switzerland. hans.stricker@eoc.ch
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stricker
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jacomella
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000628:therapy*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012008:Recurrence; D019233:Retreatment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents