Angioplasty with stent placement in peripheral arterial occlusive disease

Percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTBA) is a minimally invasive and effective adjunct treatment for patients with atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease. This surgical technique involves placing an intraarterial balloon within an obstructing arterial lesion and forcibly dilating the balloon under fluoroscopy. The PTBA technique has become an accepted interventional therapy for iliac artery stenoses. In selected patients with stenotic lesions of the iliac artery, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with the use of an intravascular stent may be an alternative to traditional aortofemoral bypass surgery. The PTA procedure involves only a needle entry site in one or both groins as opposed to an incision exposing the entire abdomen. The hospital stay for the average patient undergoing PTA of the iliac artery is three days as opposed to seven days for the patient undergoing aortofemoral bypass, and the patient may return to normal activity in a much shorter period of time after a PTA procedure.