Methods: A total of 128 patients (113 males, 15 females; mean age: 63.4±9.9 years; range, 32 to 87 years) who underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for femoropopliteal lesions between August 2016 and April 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. Treatment with Luminor® paclitaxel-coated drug-eluting balloon catheter or bailout therapy with iVolution® self-expanding nitinol stent were performed. Overall patency rates and freedom from reintervention rates were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier analysis. The primary patency and freedom from reintervention to target lesion rates at 12 and 24 months were evaluated.
Results: Technical success was achieved in 133 (93%) of the interventions with a median follow-up of 11 (range, 1 to 35) months. At 12 and 24 months, the mean overall patency rates were 85.6±3.7% and 66.8±6.7%, respectively and the mean freedom from reintervention to target lesion rates were 91.6±2.9% and 78.1±6.3%, respectively. The primary patency and freedom from reintervention to target lesion rates were significantly higher in the bailout stenting group than the drug-eluting balloon group at 12 months (97.3±2.7% vs. 94.8±6.1%, respectively, p=0.025 and 97.1±2.9% vs. 84.2±5.5%, respectively, p=0.005) and at 24 months (76.9±7.9% vs. 55.8±13.4%, respectively, p=0.025 and 85.2±7.0% vs. 70.2±13.6%, respectively, p=0.005).
Conclusion: Endovascular procedures including drug-eluting balloon and bailout stenting seem to be effective alternative treatment modalities for treatment of infrainguinal peripheral arterial disease and can be also used in patients with long lesions and/or total occlusion of femoropopliteal arteries.