Endovascular Treatment of Superficial Femoral Artery Ostial Occlusions and Outcomes of Unexpected Postprocedural Deep Femoral Artery Occlusion

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to demonstrate different revascularization approaches to superficial femoral artery (SFA) ostial occlusion and to evaluate the outcomes of unexpected deep femoral artery (DFA) occlusion encountered during the endovascular treatment (EVT). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 56 patients diagnosed with ostial SFA occlusion between March 2014 and December 2019. Patients were divided into two groups: the percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTA) group, which included 32 patients treated with PTA, and the stent group, which included 24 patients treated with stents. The preferred access site was the contralateral femoral approach, and in 20 patients, access was performed with the popliteal artery (n: 13), pedal arteries (n: 4), and retrograde occluded SFA (n: 3). Results: Technical success was 100%. In the PTA group and stent group, primary patencies were 81%, 75%; 62%, 66%; and 56%, 58% and secondary patencies were 92%, 90%; 64%, 63%; and 50%, 54% at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively, with no significant differences determined between the groups (P = 0.943 and P = 0.640 by log-rank). DFA occlusion occurred in 8 patients during the EVT. Rutherford score was a statistically significant decrease in both the groups (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P = 0.010). Conclusion: Even in challenging SFA ostial lesions, using several different approaches has high success rates in EVT. This study showed no significant difference in PTA and stenting patency rates. Accidentally, DFA occlusion may be encountered, in which case revascularization of the SFA is the priority, even if the procedure ends with occluded DFA. A patent SFA and good distal flow will be sufficient for foot perfusion in DFA's occluded patients.