Endovascular treatment of chronic arterial mesenteric ischemia: a changing perspective?

Endovascular treatment for chronic mesenteric ischemia is growing in popularity because of its lower periprocedural morbidity and mortality than open surgery. It is especially suitable for the high-risk surgical candidate and for those who have a poor nutritional state, although endovascular surgery may not be possible in patients with ostial occlusions or heavily calcified vessels. A positive response to angioplasty is helpful to secure a diagnosis in patients with slightly atypical symptoms. There are little data at present to suggest that primary stenting is better than angioplasty alone, but insertion of a stent may be valuable as a rescue procedure following dissection, vascular recoil, or thrombosis during angioplasty. The superior mesenteric artery is probably the most important vessel to treat but, where this is impossible, celiac or inferior mesenteric artery dilatation may have therapeutic benefit. However, there is some evidence at present favoring multiple, as opposed to single-vessel, angioplasty or stenting. Long-term patency is better after mesenteric bypass, which may be preferred in the younger and fitter patient. Treatment of the celiac artery compression syndrome is primarily surgical, but stent insertion may have a role as a secondary procedure where there is a residual stenosis after median arcuate ligament division.