Endovascular remote endarterectomy in femoropopliteal occlusive disease: One-year clinical experience with the ring strip cutter device

OBJECTIVES: One-year clinical outcome of a new endovascular treatment for long segmental arterial occlusive disease using a ring strip cutter (RSC) to minimise surgical exposure. DESIGN: Prospective, open study. MATERIALS: Thirty-eight consecutive RSC procedures in 36 consecutive patients with lengthy occlusive (34) or multiple stenotic (4) femoropopliteal lesions were performed. Indications for operation were disabling claudication in 25 (66%), rest pain in 3 (8%), and gangrene in 10 (26%) patients. METHODS: A newly developed endovascular ring strip cutter device was used to perform a remote endarterectomy through a single groin incision. Clinical data were analysed based on intention-to-treat. RESULTS: Initial angiographic, clinical and haemodynamic success was achieved in all 38 (100%) limbs. Mean ankle-brachial index increased significantly from 0.62 +/- 0.14 to 1.02 +/- 0.14 postoperatively (p = 0.01). Four failures have occurred during follow-up. After one-year experience the cumulative (assisted) primary and secondary patency rates are 80% and 85% respectively. Duplex surveillance has detected progressive recurrent stenoses in 10 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Remote endarterectomy of long segmental femoropopliteal occlusive disease through a single groin incision with the Ring Strip Cutter device is a safe and effective procedure. The early patency rates are good. Further long-term results are needed to evaluate this technique.