Outpatient percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for peripheral arterial disease

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of peripheral arterial stenoses or occlusions has become a widely recognized therapy in patients with disabling arterial insufficiency of the lower limbs. In most institutions, the procedure requires a two-day hospital stay, and official guidelines do not recommend ambulatory practice. Therefore, we reviewed our experience with outpatient PTA from 1986 through 1991.

PTA was performed in an outpatient setting in 141 subjects suffering from peripheral arterial insufficiency (mostly intermittent claudication), which represents 51% of the peripheral PTAs performed in our institution during this period (n = 276).

Immediate technical success was achieved in 127 (90%), resulting in 112 (79%) with clinical improvement at 10 days. Complications were recorded in 21 (15%) procedures, most of them being minor (n = 14, 10%). Fourteen patients (10%) required prolonged observation. None of the major complications (n = 7, 5%) and only one (0.7%) (groin haematoma with one-day hospital stay) of the minor side effects were attributed to the ambulatory aspect of the procedure.

Outpatient PTA may be performed in selected patients suffering from symptoms of peripheral arterial disease without additional risk.