Treatment of infrarenal aortic stenosis by stent placement: a 6-year experience

There is a significant re-stenosis rate with percutaneous treatment of stenoses of the infrarenal abdominal aorta with balloon angioplasty. Since 1990 the authors have primarily treated local infrarenal aortic stenoses with metallic endoluminal stents. The authors' experience with 12 consecutive patients (nine women and three men, aged from 30 to 72 years (mean age = 57 years)) is presented. Follow-up is available in 11 cases over 7-78 months (mean 32 months). The procedure was technically successful in all patients. Of the 11 patients with follow-up available, claudication was cured (n = 7) or significantly improved (n = 4). Those with persisting claudication had concurrent distal arterial disease. Periprocedural complications occurred in five cases, with two significant complications. One case required iliac angioplasty for embolized aortic atherosclerotic plaque, and one case required surgical thrombectomy and vein patch for iliac thrombosis complicating iliac dissection, without long-term sequelae in either case. One patient has had recurrent symptomatic aortic stenosis occurring 6 years after initial stenting, which responded to further stent insertion. Primary patency of 91% and secondary assisted patency of 100% has been achieved. Primary treatment of infrarenal aortic stenosis with endoluminal stenting results in high patency rates, with low morbidity and relatively low complication rates.