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.