[Endovascular treatment of chronic pelvic vein obstruction]

Chronic venous obstructions frequently lead to a substantial reduction in the quality of life of affected patients and as a result to a burden on the healthcare system. Endovascular recanalization and stent implantation of iliofemoral venous obstructions are successful minimally invasive approaches; however, there are still open questions with respect to patient selection, technical procedures and long-term results. This review article summarizes the current state of knowledge on the interventional treatment of postthrombotic syndrome (PTS), particularly on the development of endovascular procedures and stent implantation. Criteria for the patient selection, details of the procedure and the characteristics of special venous stents are discussed.