Cutting balloon versus conventional balloon angioplasty in short femoropopliteal arterial stenoses.

PURPOSE: To compare midterm results of cutting balloon angioplasty (CBA) to conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for the treatment of short femoropopliteal arterial stenosis.

METHODS: Between February 2004 and June 2006, 84 consecutive patients (49 men; mean age 68.5 years, range 53-89) with a total of 142 focal (<3 cm), calcified femoropopliteal occlusive lesions underwent endovascular treatment via an antegrade approach: 40 patients (67 lesions) were treated with PTA and 44 patients (75 lesions) underwent CBA. Follow-up consisted of clinical examination and color duplex ultrasonography at intervals to 2 years.

RESULTS: All treatments were technically successfully, without any major complication. In 4 (6%) of 67 lesions treated with PTA, a self-expanding stent was implanted due to a flow-limiting dissection; no patient treated with CBA had recoil, dissection, or arterial tears requiring stent placement. In the PTA group, primary and secondary patency rates, respectively, were 91.0% and 95.5% at 6 months, 83.1% and 92.4% at 12 months, and 66.6% and 76.5% at 2 years. In the CBA patients, the primary and secondary patency rates, respectively, were 93.2% and 95.9% at 6 months, 90.4% (p<0.001 versus PTA at same interval) and 94.5% at 12 months, and 79.7% (p<0.001) and 85.6% (p<0.001) at 2 years.

CONCLUSION: CBA seems to be a valuable tool in the endovascular treatment of short femoropopliteal stenotic lesions, achieving better patency at midterm compared to conventional PTA.