ABSTRACT
More and more, clinicians rely on angioplasty and stenting to correct flow abnormalities. Subclavian artery stenosis and occlusions have traditionally been managed with classic, open surgical repair via a transthoracic or cervical approach. This involved carotid-subclavian bypass or subclavian artery transposition. Introduction of extraanatomic surgical techniques allowed for satisfactory long-term patency and decreased incidence of serious complications related to aortic inflow.1-4
Unfortunately, though the minimally invasive approach reduced mortality, there was an increase in local complications.5,6 Percutaneous revascularization has become popular in the management of upper extremity claudication and subclavian steal syndrome,7,8 coronary steal syndrome,9,10 and treatment of pathologic atherosclerotic lesions of the subclavian artery (SCA) including Takayasu’s arteritis,11-13 Behcet’s disease,14 fibromuscular dysplasia,15 radiationinduced stenosis,16 true aneurysms,17 mycotic aneurysms,18 post-traumatic pseudoaneurysms, arteriovenous fistulae, bleeding,19-21 and spontaneous22 or iatrogenic dissections23 (Table 8.1).
