Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the role of duplex scanning as an imaging tool in surveillance of the natural history of femoropopliteal arterial segments treated with self-expandable nitinol stents.
Methods
From March 1999 to December 2001, 92 limbs in 84 patients were treated with self-expanding stents in the femoropopliteal (FP) segment for the relief of chronic limb ischemia. Follow-up studies included color duplex ultrasonography (CDU) and ankle/brachial indices (ABIs) in 57 limbs. Duplex criteria used to determine the presence of a significant in-stent stenosis was an increase in the peak systolic velocity within the stent of >100% from the proximal segment. The presence of a hemodynamically significant stenosis was then correlated with the concurrent ABI.
Results
Eleven in-stent stenoses were documented in 11 limbs. In those patients, the mean decrease in ABI was 0.29, ranging from 0.13 to 0.50. In 46 patients with a <50% stenosis identified on CDU, the mean change in ABI was by comparison not significant.
Conclusions
From these data, the degree of in-stent stenosis (>50%) by duplex ultrasonographic criteria correlates well with a significant stenosis within a stented segment of the femoropopliteal artery. It seems that CDU is an ideal noninvasive imaging tool to objectively surveillance stent patency.
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