Superficial femoral artery: current treatment options.
Treatment of the superficial femoral artery (SFA) has been among the least effective of all endovascular procedures in terms of long-term patency. The relatively small vessel lumen, in conjunction with a high plaque burden, slow flow, and a high frequency of primary occlusions, contributes to a considerable rate of acute technical failures. Because of these technical limitations a much effort has been made during the past years. This manuscript should summarize the hopes and limitations of different approaches such as brachytherapy, cutting balloons, stents and stent grafts, drug-eluting stents, and drug-coated balloons.
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler Strasse 3, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany. gunnar.tepe@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Gunnar
G
Tepe
Jörg
J
Schmehl
Stephan
S
Heller
Benjamin
B
Wiesinger
Claus D
CD
Claussen
Stephan H
SH
Duda
D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004867:Equipment Design; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D015607:Stents; D014654:Vascular Patency; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures