[Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in peripheral arterial occlusive disease of the lower extremities]

The results of 185 percutaneous transluminal angioplasties (PTA) of the iliac (n = 62) and femoropopliteal segment (n = 123) with a double-lumen balloon catheter (Olbert) are presented. The mean age of the 150 patients was 64 years (range 39 to 91). While there were 87% stenoses and only 13% occlusions of the iliac segment, in the femoropopliteal segment the respective ratios were 46% and 54%. 71% of the patients suffered from intermittent claudication and 29% were severely ischaemic cases (Fontaine stages III and IV). Platelet inhibition was induced by means of acetylsalicylic acid 1 g/day prior to and during the procedure, and afterwards heparin was also administered for 4 days. The primary success rate in the iliac segment of 88.7% (of which 12.9% were classified as a partial success) was identical with that in the femoropopliteal region. Stenoses were successfully treated in 94.6% cases (9.9% being partial successes), occlusions in 79.7% (partial success in 16.2% of these cases). Complications occurred in 8.6% of cases, whereby surgical correction was required in half of these. When the procedure was complicated by major embolization into the distal popliteal artery, this was handled successfully by means of local thrombolytic therapy. Over the follow-up period of up to 21 months reocclusion--or high-grade restenosis--occurred in 26 patients. The cumulative patency rate 1 year after PTA was 92% for the iliac and 70% for the femoropopliteal segment.