Outcomes of the Endovascular Treatment for the Supra-Aortic Trunks Occlusive Disease: A 14-Year Monocentric Experience

Abstract

Background: Endovascular treatment of proximal supra-aortic trunks (SAT) has become a safe and reliable alternative to conventional open surgery, with a lower morbimortality rate and good short- and middle-term patency rates. The aim of our study was to assess the long-term results of endovascular treatment of proximal lesions of the SAT (brachiocephalic trunk, common carotid artery, and subclavian artery) and identify predictive risk factors of restenosis.

Methods: From 1999 to 2013, 67 consecutive stenotic lesions of the proximal SAT were treated by angioplasty (13.4%) or stenting (86.6%) in 63 patients with a mean age of 65.5 years (40-87). Procedures were performed under general (69%), local (24%), or locoregional (7%) anesthesia, with percutaneous puncture (47.8%) or open access (52.2%). Patients were followed up for 3, 6, and 12 months, and then every year with clinical examination, Doppler ultrasound and if required an angio-CT scan.

Results: The technical success rate was 98.5%. There was no postoperative death or strokes. One myocardial infarction occurred at day 2. There were 2 access complications: a nonsurgical hematoma after brachial access and a brachial thrombosis postpuncture. The mean follow-up was 4.5 years (2-163 months). The primary- and assisted-patency rates were 90.1%, 86.4%, 77.9% and 93.3%, 91.4%, 82.9% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively. Eleven restenosis (16.4%) occurred at 28.5 months (3, 0-112, 0) of follow-up. Four of them required an endovascular repair and 3 required a surgical one. The restenosis rate was 17.5% in the stented group on average at 30.2 months of follow-up (range, 3.0-112.0) and 10% in the group of patients with angioplasty alone at 8 months of follow-up, without significant statistically difference (P = 0.9). No predictive risk factor of restenosis was statistically identified.

Conclusions: The endovascular treatment of proximal stenosis of SAT is a safe, reliable, and efficient technique with a low morbidity and mortality. The long-term results are good, but restenosis can occur. Long-term follow-up should be performed to detect and treat restenosis.