Patency after femoral angioplasty: correlation of angiographic appearance with clinical findings

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Abstract
Fifty-seven patients (34 men and 23 women) underwent percutaneous angioplasty (PTA) of the superficial femoral artery. Follow-up angiography revealed restenoses/reocclusions in 23 patients (relapsing group) and a patent, previously-dilated segment in 34 cases (patent group). These two groups were compared retrospectively regarding their clinical and angiographic state at the time of PTA. The lengths and types of the dilated arterial lesions were similar for both groups. However, the patients in the relapsing group were older as an average, showed significantly more advanced arteriosclerotic disease of their outflow tracts, and were predominantly female. For the relapsing group, a smaller lumen had been attained and a significantly higher brachiopedal pressure difference remained after PTA as opposed to the patients of the patent group. Of the patients with clinical signs of relapse, 28% still had patency of previously dilated segments at follow-up angiography. The true patency rate of dilated arterial segments presumably is higher than what is expected from follow-up examinations using clinical methods alone.