The durability of endovascular treatment of multisegment iliac occlusive disease

The effectiveness of endovascular treatment of multisegment iliac occlusive disease (involving two or more common and/or external iliac arteries) was determined.

All patients who underwent angioplasty or stenting of at least two separate iliac artery segments were identified. Demographic data were recorded. Technical success, hemodynamic success, and aortoiliac primary and primary-assisted patency were analyzed by using the Society for Vascular Surgery and International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery (SVS/ISCVS) criteria. Multivariate, life table analysis was used as a means of determining outcome predictors.

Eighty-seven patients underwent 207 iliac artery angioplasties and 115 iliac artery stents, which were performed in 210 iliac segments for disabling claudication in 60% of cases, for rest pain in 17% of cases, and for tissue loss in 23% of cases. Two iliac segments were treated in 64% of patients, three segments were treated in 28% of patients, and four segments were treated in 8% of patients. The complication rate was 11%. Initial hemodynamic success was achieved in 72% of cases. Clinical improvement occurred in 88% of patients. Subsequent endovascular reintervention was required in 29% of patients, whereas surgical inflow procedures were required in 14% of patients to maintain aortoiliac patency. The mean time from the primary intervention to the first reintervention was 10 +/- 3 months. At 6, 12, and 36 months after intervention, the primary patency rates of the aortoiliac segment were 76%, 61%, and 43%, respectively, and the primary assisted patency rates were 95%, 87%, and 72%, respectively. Only the presence of an external iliac artery stenosis adversely affected both primary and assisted-primary patency. At 6, 12, and 36 months, the aortoiliac primary patency rates in patients without the presence of an external iliac artery stenosis were 88%, 78%, and 69%, respectively, compared with 68%, 47%, and 18%, respectively, in patients with external iliac artery lesions (P <. 0001).

Endovascular therapy for multisegment aortoiliac occlusive disease has acceptable patency rates; however, reintervention is often needed. The presence of external iliac artery disease is a significant predictor of poor outcome.