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Updated: Nov 19, 2025

Multimodality Diagnosis of Mesenteric Ischemia
Published on: July 21, 2023
Defining Duplex Ultrasound Criteria for In-Stent Restenosis of the Superior Mesenteric Artery
Jessica Green1, Evan Ryer1, Nicholas Borden1
1Department of Endovascular & Vascular Surgery, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA.
Background:
This study sought to define duplex ultrasound (DUS) velocity criteria predicting ≥70% stenosis in superior mesenteric artery (SMA) stents by correlating in-stent peak systolic velocity (PSV) with computed tomographic angiography (CTA) measurements of percent stenosis.
Methods:
A retrospective review of 109 patients undergoing SMA stenting between 2003 and 2018 was conducted at a single institution. Thirty-seven surveillance duplex ultrasound studies were found to have a CTA performed within 30 days of study completion. Bare metal (n = 20) and covered stents (n = 17) were included. Velocities were paired to in-stent restenosis (ISR) measured by mean vessel diameter reduction on SMA centerline reconstructions from CTA. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was generated and logistic regression models for ≥70% ISR probability were used to define velocity criteria in the stented SMA.
Results:
At a PSV of 300 cm/sec, the sensitivity is 100% and specificity 80% for a ≥70% in-stent SMA stenosis. At a PSV of 400 cm/sec, the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) is 63% and the specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) is 90%. A PSV of 450 cm/sec was consistent with the highest specificity (100%) and PPV (100%) but lower sensitivity (50%) and NPV (87.9%). One patient with a PSV of 441 cm/sec on surveillance DUS died from complications of acute-on-chronic mesenteric ischemia.
Conclusions:
A PSV of 400 cm/sec on mesenteric DUS can predict ≥70% ISR with high sensitivity and should be considered as a diagnostic threshold for SMA in-stent restenosis.

