Introduction: This study aims to evaluate our experience with self-expanding nitinol stent- enabled recanalisation of long-length occlusions (30 cm or more) of the superficial femoral artery (SFA).
Methods: 573 patients underwent 842 lower limb interventions from August 2006 to December 2008. A retrospective review of patients undergoing recanalisation of long-length SFA occlusions with self-expanding nitinol stents and an evaluation of their patency and impact on limb salvage, were done.
Results: 22 patients (mean age 62.5 years, male: female ratio 11:11) underwent 22 long-length SFA stenting procedures. The spectrum of critical limb ischaemia included rest pain (five), ulcer (six) and gangrene (11). Length of occlusions varied from 30 cm to 45 cm (average length 36.4 cm). Five patients had stents placed through the ipsilateral popliteal artery approach, and the rest had stents placed through the femoral artery approach. All patients were followed up over an average duration of 12 months. One patient died due to associated medical conditions during this period. Six out of 21 (28.6 percent) of the stents thrombosed completely on one year follow-up. Of these, two patients underwent amputation, one patient had a bypass, and the stent in two patients were recanalised with balloon angioplasty. All remaining patent stents showed varying degrees of stenoses at one year. The overall limb salvage rate at one year following stent placement was 81 percent.
Conclusion: Our experience showed the beneficial result of long-length SFA stent placement with good limb salvage outcome. Repeat interventions may be required to maintain the patency of stents in these patients.