Stenting of the iliac arteries with the Palmaz stent: experience from a multicenter trial

Balloon-expandable, intraluminal stenting of the iliac arteries with the Palmaz stent was the subject of a multicenter study for 4 years. A total of 486 patients underwent 587 procedures. Four hundred and five patients had unilateral and 81 had bilateral iliac stent placements. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 48 months (mean 13.3 +/- 11 months). Sustained clinical benefit of the treated patients was obtained in 90.9% at 1 year, 84.1% at 2 years, and 68.6% at 43 months. Angiographic patency rate was 92%. Diabetes mellitus and poor runoff had significant negative influence on the clinical outcome. The 10% incidence of procedural complications was not altered by operator experience.