ABSTRACT
Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) represents the mainstay of treatment for the
majority of femoropopliteal lesions in patients with chronic limb ischemia. A disadvantage of
the procedure is the high rate of recurrent stenosis, which usually develops 6 to 12 months after
treatment (1). Initial failure in the form of elastic recoil and dissection, as well as late negative
remodeling, can be addressed by the implantation of stents. During long-term follow-up,
however, stent implantation has largely failed to provide superior patency rates when
compared to angioplasty alone. In a recent meta-analysis of 19 studies (w1400 PTA or stent
procedures) femoropopliteal PTA resulted in three-year primary patency of 30%, 48%, and 61%
for occlusions with critical ischemia, occlusions with claudication, and stenoses with claudica-
tion, respectively. The use of femoropopliteal stents resulted in three-year primary patency of
63% to 66%, independent of lesion types and indication (2).
