Transient relief of abdominal angina by Wallstent placement into an occluded superior mesenteric artery

A 56-year-old man presented with complete occlusion of the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries resulting in chronic mesenteric ischemia. After a minimal angioplasty a Wallstent was inserted across the superior mesenteric artery occlusion. This produced immediate clinical relief, with a successful angiographic result. Eight months later, an intrastent occlusion with acute bowel infarction was treated in emergency by saphenous vein bypass graft. Despite the death of the patient a few days later from a multivisceral failure syndrome, this method seemed to us feasible in treating a chronically occluded SMA in patients with high operative risk.