A pooled analysis of common femoral and profunda femoris endovascular interventions

Atherosclerotic disease of common femoral and profunda femoris arteries has been historically treated with surgical endarterectomy. Endovascular treatment of common femoral artery and profunda femoris artery disease is increasingly reported in the recent literature. This review summarizes short- and mid-term outcomes of endovascular interventions to the common femoral artery and common femoral artery.

All published series in the English language were identified through a systematic PubMed search. Standard descriptive statistics, reported as mean ± SD, were applied to perform the pooled analysis and calculate the overall outcome measures. Combined overall effect sizes were calculated using fixed-effect meta-analysis.

The analysis included 20 studies with a total of 836 patients (897 limbs, mean age of 70.5 ± 4.3 years, critical limb ischemia 39.6%). Technical success was 95%. Angioplasty alone was undertaken in 68.8% of cases and stenting in 22.3%. Access complications occurred in 2.4% of cases. Post-operative major adverse limb events occurred in 2% and major adverse cardiovascular events in 1% of cases. Primary patency at 6, 12 and 24 months was 87%, 77% and 73%, respectively. Subgroup analysis revealed a significantly higher mean primary patency at 12 months for routine stenting compared to a selective stenting strategy (91.4% versus 75%; p < 0.05).

Endovascular interventions to the common femoral artery and common femoral artery can be performed safely with high technical success. Endovascular therapy may be a favored approach over endarterectomy for highly selected patients of poor surgical risk, with limited life expectancy and those with wound-healing considerations such as re-operative fields or prone to infection.