Treatment of chronic iliac artery occlusions by means of percutaneous endovascular stent placement

PURPOSE: A retrospective evaluation of outcomes in patients with chronic iliac occlusions treated with insertion of metallic endovascular stents, without previous thrombolysis, on an intention-to-treat basis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-two patients with chronic iliac occlusion underwent attempted stent placement from either the ipsilateral or contralateral femoral artery. There were 49 men and 23 women, Mean age was 63.1 years (range, 39-88 years), A total of 89 stents were deployed in 67 patients, Follow-up was from 24 to 69 months (mean, 37.5 months). RESULTS: Stents were successfully deployed in 67 patients (93%), with two early failures, giving a primary success rate of 90%. There were five significant and four insignificant procedural complications. There were four late failures (all within the first year) and four non-stent-related deaths. CONCLUSION: Endovascular stent placement offers an alternative to surgery in the treatment of chronic iliac occlusions.