Aim: Aorto-iliac obstructive disease has been traditionally treated with endarterectomy and/or a surgical bypass graft. Kissing-stents technique has been proposed to reconstruct the aorto-iliac bifurcation for complex aorto-iliac lesions.
Methods: We report 43 patients with complex aorto-iliac occlusions managed with endovascular repair. Between March 1999 and October 2005, a total of 43 patients with a mean age of 66+/-10 years underwent endovascular treatment for aorto-iliac obstructive disease. Lesions were classified C (n=34) and D (n=9), accordingly to the Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) classification. All endovascular interventions were performed in the theatre under regional anesthesia. Predilation with kissing-balloons angioplasty was usually performed; the bifurcation was then eventually reconstructed using bilateral stents placed with the kissing technique. Clinical examination and duplex scans or computed tomography-angiography (CT-A) were performed at discharge and 1, 6, and 12 months after the procedure, with yearly studies thereafter.
Results: Kissing-stents technique was selectively used in 30 cases (69.7%); the remainder cases were treated with kissing-balloons. Major complications occurred in 2 patients (4.6%). Overall, mean hospitalization was 4.1+/-2.8 days (median 3 days). Mean follow-up was 32.4 months (range 1-84 months; median 36 months). During the follow-up, 2 patients (4.6%) died. Duplex and/or CT-A examination detected 4 re-occlusions. Primary patency rates at 12, 24, and 60 months were 92%, 85.7%, and 80.7%, respectively; overall secondary patency rate was 40/43 patients.
Conclusions: We consider this approach most appropriate for patients deemed at high operative risk for conventional repair or for those who refuse surgery.