Endovascular superficial femoral artery treatment: can it be as good as bypass?

Care of the vascular patient has changed drastically during the last decade, with the introduction of endovascular therapies. Medical management and open surgical bypass have been the traditional options for superficial femoral artery (SFA) occlusive disease. Endovascular revascularization of the SFA, however, has been increasingly utilized during the past decade. Results of endovascular interventions for SFA stenoses and/or occlusions have been mixed. In addition, several different techniques have been developed to address similar lesions. This added complexity makes it difficult to compare endovascular therapies to surgical bypass. This review will discuss the difficulties in comparing open and endovascular therapies as well as outcomes of endovascular therapies. Finally, the role of endovascular interventions for SFA lesions in the future will be discussed.