Cutting balloon versus conventional balloon angioplasty in short femoropopliteal arterial stenoses.
OBJECTIVE
To compare midterm results of cutting balloon angioplasty (CBA) to conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for the treatment of short femoropopliteal arterial stenosis.


METHODS
Between February 2004 and June 2006, 84 consecutive patients (49 men; mean age 68.5 years, range 53-89) with a total of 142 focal (<3 cm), calcified femoropopliteal occlusive lesions underwent endovascular treatment via an antegrade approach: 40 patients (67 lesions) were treated with PTA and 44 patients (75 lesions) underwent CBA. Follow-up consisted of clinical examination and color duplex ultrasonography at intervals to 2 years.


RESULTS
All treatments were technically successfully, without any major complication. In 4 (6%) of 67 lesions treated with PTA, a self-expanding stent was implanted due to a flow-limiting dissection; no patient treated with CBA had recoil, dissection, or arterial tears requiring stent placement. In the PTA group, primary and secondary patency rates, respectively, were 91.0% and 95.5% at 6 months, 83.1% and 92.4% at 12 months, and 66.6% and 76.5% at 2 years. In the CBA patients, the primary and secondary patency rates, respectively, were 93.2% and 95.9% at 6 months, 90.4% (p<0.001 versus PTA at same interval) and 94.5% at 12 months, and 79.7% (p<0.001) and 85.6% (p<0.001) at 2 years.


CONCLUSIONS
CBA seems to be a valuable tool in the endovascular treatment of short femoropopliteal stenotic lesions, achieving better patency at midterm compared to conventional PTA.
Department of Clinical Science and Bioimaging, Section of Radiology, University G. D'Annunzio, SS. Annunziata Hospital, Chieti, Italy. ar.cotroneo@rad.unich.it
Antonio R
AR
Cotroneo
Danilo
D
Pascali
Roberto
R
Iezzi
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011150:Popliteal Artery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D014654:Vascular Patency