Persistent symptom relief after revascularization in patients with single-artery chronic mesenteric ischemia

An isolated stenosis of the celiac artery (CA) or the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is frequently detected in patients with abdominal complaints. The dilemma is whether these patients suffer from chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) and whether they will benefit from revascularization. We evaluated the long-term clinical success rates for single CA or SMA revascularization in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms and confirmed mucosal ischemia.

This was a retrospective cohort analysis of 59 consecutive patients with gastrointestinal symptoms and a single atherosclerotic mesenteric artery stenosis who were referred to our tertiary care institution between 2006 and 2010 for standardized diagnostic workup of CMI, including measurement of mucosal ischemia with visible light spectroscopy or gastric-jejunal tonometry. Patients with multidisciplinary consensus diagnosis of CMI underwent surgical or endovascular revascularization. The primary outcome was clinical response to revascularization, defined as relief of presenting symptoms as experienced by the patient.

Consensus diagnosis of CMI was obtained in 37 of 59 patients. Isolated CA stenosis was present in 30 of 37 patients (81%) and isolated SMA stenosis in seven patients. After a mean follow-up of 5.0 ± 3.0 years, 27 of 37 patients (73%) experienced sustained symptom relief after revascularization. Response was not related to lesion localization (CA, 73%; SMA, 71%; P = .919).

Revascularization of the CA or SMA provides persistent symptom relief in 73% of patients diagnosed with CMI due to single atherosclerotic mesenteric artery stenosis.