Comparison of conventional angioplasty with the Palmaz stent in the treatment of abdominal aortic stenoses from the STAR Registry

PURPOSE: To retrospectively compare the safety and short-term efficacy of conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and PTA with the Palmaz balloon-expandable intravascular stent for the treatment of infrarenal abdominal aortic atherosclerotic stenoses. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The records of 25 patients with infrarenal aortic stenoses treated by means of percutaneous techniques were retrieved from the SCVIR Transluminal Angioplasty and Revascularization (STAR) Registry and analyzed, Thirteen patients were treated with PTA alone and 12 were treated with the Palmaz intravascular stent. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in 92% of patients treated with PTA alone and in 100% of those treated with the Palmaz stent, Significant improvements in lesion morphology, hemodynamics, clinical status, and ankle arm indexes were shown in both groups, There was no statistically significant difference in percent stenosis reduction, decrease in trans-stenotic gradient, or initial clinical outcome between the group treated by means of PTA and the group treated by means of PTA with the Palmaz stent. CONCLUSIONS: PTA and intravascular stent placement of atherosclerotic stenoses involving the infrarenal aorta are both safe and efficacious therapeutic modalities. At present, it does not appear that primary stent placement confers any short-term benefits over technically successful PTA in aortic stenoses.